Solar Wars
by SoA
Summary: Released from their dark prison nine tainted senshi from the sun descend to Earth. A quick misunderstanding leads them to be at war with the Sol Senshi while their old friends from the Sun venture to Earth to retrieve them...
1. Episode 1

Dark Light Emerges. Friends or Enemies?

Nine stars of light floated gently to Earth, in deep slumber. They were free from an eternal prison of darkness in the Negaverse. They landed on Earth and the light around each of them ceased as they opened their eyes and saw the sky for the first time since the Golden Millennium. They stared at the stars, distant suns. On thought shot through their minds: _protect the princess_. They stood and sought to find each other.

Ami had invited Rei, Makoto, Mina, and Usagi over to her apartment to watch the meteor shower of slowly falling balls of light. There had been another show of lights in the sky recently when Nepherina's mirror shards fell to the earth. Usagi spent most of her time staring through the narrow lens in Ami's telescope.

"Usagi!" Rei said impatiently, "Isn't it about time you let someone else look through that thing?"

"Okay," she said in a cheerful yet disappointed voice and moved away from the telescope to look off the balcony into the night sky at the gently falling stars.

Minako immediately seized the vacant telescope before Rei could get to it and gleefully stared out at the stars. "Minako!" Rei exclaimed.

"You didn't say _you_ wanted it next," Minako said and giggled.

"Oh you guys," Makoto sighed calmly, "It's just as pretty when you can see the whole sky."

"Yes," Ami agreed, "Makoto is right. You can probably see a lot more without the telescope."

"That doesn't mean I still don't want to see it!" Rei argued.

Usagi giggled with her blue eyes upturned at the sky. "So we can stay the night, right Ami?" she asked.

"Yes, Mother said that would be alright," she said, also still gazing up at the stars, "She works the night shift tonight so we have to fix our own breakfast in the morning. She will be very tired."

"I'm fine with that," Minako said, finally looking up from the telescope and stepping back to look at Ami. Rei took her opening and snatched the end of the telescope, pivoting it to face her. "Hey!" the blond said accusingly.

"You snooze, you loose!" Rei answered, sticking her tongue out, though still staring through the telescope.

"You mean you would be fine with that as long as Makoto cooks for us," Usagi corrected playfully, taking her eyes off the sky for a moment to grin at Minako.

"Of course!" she laughed.

"Oh!" Makoto said thoughtfully, "Then I'll have to think up something to make for tomorrow. Would you mind if I go look through your refrigerator and pantry Ami?"

Ami giggled, "Oh go right ahead! You can use whatever you want. Mother won't mind."

"Okay, thanks!" Makoto took one last glance at the stars and headed back into the apartment and into the well-stocked kitchen to plan breakfast.

"Ooh!" Usagi cooed after a particularly beautiful shooting star.

"Oh!" Ami gasped as well.

Suddenly, Rei straightened up and glanced anxiously around at Minako, Ami, and Usagi. "I feel something wrong here," she said slowly. "Do you guys notice anything strange about those meteors?"

Ami squinted into the dark sky, her eyes darting around. She gasped. "Instead of dissolving in the atmosphere like they should, the meteors are falling slowly and gently to earth," she said with a sudden realization. "I can't believe I didn't notice that earlier! I guess I'm used to strange falling stars by now."

"What is it Rei?" Usagi asked, looking confused.

"There's something evil very near by," she answered, her eyes unfocused as she gazed fixed into space. "Those aren't meteors. They're definitely something else. It feels so familiar..."

Suddenly Minako, who's wandering eyes had fallen down to the ground, gasped and snatched the now unused telescope. Pointing it towards the street she gasped once again. "It's a Negaverse _youma_! And it's attacking a little girl!"

Usagi hurried over to the railing, grabbing it, then bending herself over so that she could see below. She squinted into the dark streets and could make out two figures. She faintly heard a screech of pain from below. Rei and Ami moved to the railing to look down as well. "We have to help her!" she exclaimed.

Just then, Luna and Artimis hurried out the door onto the balcony. Artimis started at Minako, who was still looking at the street through the telescope. "Mina-chan," he asked, "What is it? What's going on?"

"Artimis and I sense something," Luna said.

"There's a girl down there being attacked by a Negaverse _youma_," She answered, "It's going to kill her; completely drain her energy!"

"You're sure that's what is it?" Luna asked skeptically. "The Negaverse was defeated over four years ago."

"We're sure Luna," Rei answered, looking up from the street and at Luna, but not before scanning the sky full of falling stars. "Those aren't normal meteors," She said, "I think they're all _youma_."

Artimis gasped.

Makoto hurried out the door to where her friends were. "Did I miss something?" she asked cheerfully, "Hey, what are all you guys looking at?"

Usagi looked up at Makoto then pointed down towards the street, "That."

The tall brunette hurried over to the railing and looked down, straining her eyes to see through the darkness after being in the lighted kitchen.

Seeing her perplexed look, Ami said, "It's a Negaverse _youma_ and it's attacking a girl that just appeared there."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Makoto asked enthusiastically, "It isn't our job just to sit around and watch things like this happen. We're the Sailor Senshi right?"

"Yea!" Minako, Ami, and Usagi cheered together. Rei was still staring meditatively out at the sky.

"We've got a lot to deal with now," she muttered quietly so that no one else heard her.

"Henshin everyone!" Artimis cried.

Four of the girls instantly pulled out their henshin wands that were given to them by Helios and Usagi put one hand on her compact.

"Mercury Crystal Power!"

"Mars Crystal Power!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power!"

"Venus Crystal Power!"

"Moon Eternal Power!"

They finished together, "Makeup!"

When they finally reached the ground floor, the five sailors sprinted out the main door onto the street in front of the building. The young girl had already been blasted by the youma several times and was nearly unconscious.

"How dare you attack an innocent girl without reason? I'm Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, I shall punish you!" Sailor Moon assumed her customary position.

"And in the name of our planets, we will punish you as well," Sailor Mars continued.

The youma blasted the girl again and turned to face it's enemies. It sent a burst of dark energy at the senshi who scattered in all directions.

Sailor Moon glanced over at her team of senshi. "Mercury, Venus, Mars..." she panted as she signaled to them as what to do. The tree of them nodded and set to work.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody"

The three attacks combined into a shimmering ellipse of blue, red, and yellow. It struck the youma hard on the chest and sent it flying across the street, disappearing instantly with their attacks.

Sailor Jupiter had already rescued the girl and was cradling her limp form in her arms. She headed over to a streetlight where she could see the girl better. The other sailors followed. Sailor Moon and was still rejoicing over their victory.

When she got into the light, Jupiter gasped. The girl was in sailor fuku. On her outfit, what should have been white was black. Her skirt was a rainbow of extremely dull colors, and her bows and such were all a dull, dark yellow. Her hair was pale yellow and done up in buns like Chibiusa's. Her pigtails, however, were twisted loops of hair hanging down from the buns. She had dull yellow bow in her hair with a heart shaped crystal nested in it. The crystal, like her broach were black and both sported a dark silver up-side-down crescent moon symbols. She looked a few years older than Chibiusa and was thin and frail. Her skin was sickly pale and covered in injuries from her attack by the youma monster. Her condition reminded everyone of how Hotaru had once been.

"Sailor Moon, get over here," Sailor Mars called.

She jogged over. Upon arriving, Sailor Moon exclaimed, "She's really hurt, we have to do something for her!"

Sailor Mercury pondered, "lets get her inside. We can un-transform on the elevator and then I can wake my mom up and maybe she can take her to the hospital."

"All right, let's," Jupiter stood up and the five sailors headed off towards the apartment front doors.

Just as Sailor Venus reached for the doors to pull them open a blast of red energy followed by some green energy hit her from behind. They sent her flying into the air as she screamed in pain.

"Sailor Venus!" All of the senshi exclaimed in horror and surprise.

Jupiter gently set the girl down on the ground in front of the apartment building and whirled around. "Alight, who did that?" She vengefully began forming a ball of lightning in her hands. A line of eight Sailor clad girls stood to face her, not twenty feet away. One of them, wearing only different shades of pink besides the black of her bodice and gloves, stepped forward. Her hair was an intense pink color and it was done up in two round buns like Usagi's.

"Funny you ask that," The pink sailor retorted. "You're the one's doing wrong here. Return our princess Sunlight at once!"

"Tell us who you are, and we might consider!" Sailor Mars yelled.

"I'm Sailor Pink Sun of the Sun Color Senshi, and my companions are the Sun Spectrum Senshi," She sneered. "Don't even try to fight us, you don't stand a chance!"

"Wanna bet?" Sailor Mars was fed up with the pink sailor's arrogance. "Mars Flame Sniper!" She aimed her arrow strait at the pink sailor.

"Not so fast!" An indigo and black clad scout came to Pink Sun's rescue. "Indigo Invisible Beams Beat Down!" She sent a shimmer through the air that collided with Mars's flaming arrow and swallowed it in a blast of indigo colored light.

The Sailor Senshi were horrified to find that they couldn't harm them. "What should we do?" Sailor Moon asked nervously. "Maybe we should just give them what they want?"

"Not without a fight or an explanation," Jupiter answered furiously.

"Explanation?! You are the one's who owe us an explanation! You are the ones who captured our princess!" A green and black soldier accused.

"Captured! We did nothing of the sort! We just..." Sailor Mercury began, but was cut off by a red and black soldier.

"I have heard enough! Give us back Princess Chibisun now or you'll be really sorry!" The red spectrum scout started to gather some red light in her black-gloved hands. "Red Solar Heat Wave!" She slammed her red light energy towards the planet senshi. It squarely hit Venus and Mars, knocked them off their feet, and sent them flying backwards. With a sickening crash, the glass front doors of the apartment building shattered as the two senshi flew into them. Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus skidded to a stop amongst the broken glass in the entryway of the building.

Both Mars and Venus's fuku was ripped, they were covered in scratches, and each sported several bruises and gashes. They both struggled to stand, but were in too much pain to do so.

"You'll pay for that!" Jupiter yelled. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Her leaves of light spiraled towards a scout dresses in blue and black. She leaped agilely out of the way and the attack struck a yellow and black senshi in stead. She yelped in pain and crumpled to the ground.

"Yellow Sun!" The red soldier yelled in dismay and rushed over to her.

Suddenly Sailor Moon yelled, "Jupiter watch out! Behind you!"

Sailor Jupiter whirled around just in time to get a blue boot in her face. The blue spectrum senshi threw a few punches. Jupiter dodged them and returned some of her own. She struck the blue sailor on the shoulder just once before she was hit in the back by another assault.

"Green Flares Aurora Dance!"

Jupiter fell flat on the ground just as the blue sun sailor scooped up the girl, which the sun senshi had claimed to be their princess, into her arms and leaped powerfully back to her companions.

"Come back here!" Mercury shouted, "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" She aimed this attack at no one in particular. It missed all of the sun senshi as they scattered.

"We've got her, let's go!" Sailor Pink Sun commanded. The group of sun sailors started sprinting off. Three small cat-like shadows followed them.

One, who was clad in orange and black paused and turned around. "Oh... I need to give you something before I leave," she sneered. "Orange Solar Flare!" Hot orange light shot towards Sailor Mercury and engulfed her. She screamed painfully. "That's for capturing our princess!" she declared defiantly, "Orange Solar Flare!" This time the orange light targeted Sailor Moon, the only senshi left standing, who was also engulfed in it screaming in pain. "That was for hurting her," she declared defiantly again. Now Sailor Moon was just barely able to stand. "Orange Solar Flare!" The final blaze knocked Sailor Moon down, who wailed in pain. "... And that was for hurting Sailor Yellow Sun." She laughed evilly at the five senshi sprawled injured all over the ground in front of and inside the apartment building, then she bounded off after her companions.

After quite a bit of encouragement and taunting, Luna and Artimis managed to get the Sailor Senshi to stand up and hobble to the elevator, untransform there, and have a meeting immediately after they returned to Ami's apartment.

"It perplexes me..." Luna pondered, "Why would those new Sailor Senshi appear at the same time as that youma did? And why now... why would the _youma_ appear now? The Negaverse was defeated several years ago."

"None of those seem to make sense to me either," Ami's sweet voice piped in. "Did you notice that they were all wearing black where we have white on our fuku? That is a sign of evil... isn't it?"

"Black doesn't necessarily mean evil," Luna replied, "Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Pluto wear black..."

"True, but I know they can't be on our side," Usagi stated as she yawned. "They were attacking us."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Hey you guys, I think figured out something important," Minako exclaimed. "There was that pink one, she seemed to be the leader, she said she was called Sailor Pink Sun and that she was from the Sun Color Senshi. She also said that the others were the Sun Spectrum Senshi. It sounds like she is from a different group. Higher up in the rankings, I'd guess, by the way she was ordering them around."

"Which means there's more of them, from the Sun Color Senshi," Rei said anxiously.

"Yes," Artimis agreed.

"Wait, wait... I also think I figured out what all of their names are," Minako continued, "The pink one said that she was Sailor Pink Sun, and the orange one called the yellow one Sailor Yellow sun, so they probably all have names that are like Sailor a color Sun."

"That sounds right," Ami agreed.

"So there's Sailor Pink Sun, Sailor Red Sun, Sailor Orange Sun, Sailor Yellow Sun, Sailor Green Sun, Sailor Blue Sun, Sailor Indigo Sun, and Sailor Purple or Violet Sun. What about that girl the youma was attacking?" Usagi asked.

"Well, they kept calling her 'Sunlight', so maybe she's Sailor Sunlight," Artimis suggested.

"But they also called her 'Chibisun'," Makoto Argued, "She could be Sailor Chibisun just as easily, like Sailor Chibimoon. That means there also might be a Sailor Sun too."

Ami nodded, "That makes sense. I mean they are all from the sun but there was not a Sailor Sun in their group, I think. All of the planets have senshi, so the Sun naturally should too."

"Luna, Artimis," Rei asked, "Do you know anything about senshi on the Sun?"

Both of the cats thought for a moment. Finally Artimis spoke, "You know, I vaguely remember something about it. I had heard that the queen there, whatever her name was, was building up an army of senshi for some reason. I don't remember where I heard that though."

As Artimis paused to think, Luna started in, "Yes, I do remember about the Golden Millennium. They were not completely friendly with the Silver Millennium, so I know very little about them. I don't know how you know so much Artimis. They were a secretive and isolate kingdom. But I do know that a Sailor Sun has existed in the past. Whether there is one now, I couldn't tell you."

"I met someone a very long time ago, before I knew you guys," Minako started, "That said she was the senshi of the Sun, but she wasn't called Sailor Sun—"

"Sailor O," Artimis said quietly, remembering for the first time the girl from China that he and Minako met long ago in Minako's Sailor V days.

"Yea," Minako nodded, "We met her in Shanghai when I was still Sailor V. She's not 'Sailor S' or anything, so I really doubt that she is Sailor Sun."

"Aren't we going off topic a little?" Ami asked, "We are going to have to notify Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru about this. They have to know."

Makoto yawned. "I don't know about you guys, but I need some sleep after this. We can figure out the rest later..." With that, she slipped into her sleeping bag, not bothering to change into her pajamas.


	2. Epsiode 2

An unlikely Friendship. Uranus Worries.

Two Sailor Soldiers marched through golden passages. The tallest one had her short hair in a high bun and was clad solely in white. The smaller had straight black hair to her waist and was clad in black. They approached an ornate door. The black clad soldier knocked.

"Come in!" A voice sounded from inside.

They entered and kneeled before another Sailor Soldier who had royal purple hair in a low, thin ponytail and wore all colors of the rainbow and beyond. "What do news do you bring me? Black Sun? White Sun?" she asked regally.

"Your Highness, Sailor Spectrum, we bring good news," the taller senshi, Sailor White Sun, began.

"The lost ones have finally been released and have landed on earth," the smaller, Sailor Black Sun, finished.

"What news!" the regal girl, Sailor Spectrum, exclaimed. "Tell me, is it all nine of the lost ones?"

"Yes, Highness," Sailor Black Sun replied, barely containing her excitement, "It is all nine; your younger sister, her soldiers, and your one lost soldier that accompanied them on that fateful battle."

"However," Sailor White sun began remorsefully, "They seems to have been tainted by the evil darkness of the Negaverse. A purification will be needed."

"Then we will have to seek the aid of Sailor Moon and her Soldiers," the princess said, "For only she has an item filled with enough purity power to drive out the evil in anyone: the ginuzshu. I must go now and bear this good news to my mother, the queen. My thanks go to you both."

"We are always at your service Sailor Spectrum," both of the senshi said together then bowed to their leader. They waited for her to leave the room, then went off in another direction to break the news to their fellows.

Haruka whizzed along the busy streets of Tokyo on her sleek motorcycle. _Youmas_, she thought, _everywhere!_ She sensed their evil late the past night and knew that there were more than she could count even before her partner, Michiru, verified it with her mirror. The tall blond was itching for a fight and felt that she needed to track some down to keep people from getting hurt.

She followed her instincts, navigating the streets. She _knew_ there was one very close.

"Damn!" she cursed softly as the light turned red ahead of her. She waited and watched the people crossing the street on the other end of the intersection. Everyone hurried across except for one girl who looked only a little older than Hotaru, who struggled across the street. She wore metal braces on each leg and had a metal crutch strapped to each arm. The tiny girl had yellow hair that was done in a single bun on top of her head and a pig-tail coming down from it. It was styled just like Usagi's, only with only one. She was about half way across the last lane when the light turned green again.

At the moment, the girl was passing in front of a large truck. The truck started moving, apparently not seeing the poor girl.

"Watch out!" Haruka screamed at her.

The girl simply glanced over her shoulder and let out a panicked scream. She tried to run but tripped in stead. By this time Haruka had already put the motorcycle into the highest gear she could and whizzed over to the girl. Not pausing at all, she grabbed the girl around the waist and lifted her onto the cycle in front of her. The truck narrowly missed her and crushed both of the crutches, which the girl had dropped.

Haruka skidded onto the sidewalk and stopped, avoiding crashing into anyone or anything. She put the kickstand down and got off her bike. She picked the girl up and set her straight up on the motorcycle seat. The tiny girl was still shaking in terror.

"Hey kiddo," Haruka said in a deep calm voice, "are you okay? You're safe now."

The girl looked up and nodded, trying to keep her tears of fright at bay. Suddenly she launched herself from the seat and hugged her rescuer fiercely around the waist. "Thank you!" the girl squeaked.

Haruka laughed gently and patted the girl on the head. "I'm Tenou Haruka. What's your name?" she asked.

Still hugging Haruka the girl looked up and grinned, "I'm Suenari Kigai." She hugged Haruka even harder. "Thank you for saving me!"

"Hey," she answered, "No problem."

"Thank you!" she squeezed Haruka again.

"You can stop that," Haruka chuckled, "There's an ice cream shop just around the corner. Why don't we get to know each other over something to eat."

Kigai released her hold on Haruka's waist, "Really? Yay!"

Haruka wheeled her bike to the curb and parked it there. Then she put Kigai on her shoulders and walked to the ice cream shop.

Soon the two were sitting on a bench near Haruka's motorcycle happily licking their ice cream and talking.

"I got lost. I'm new to the city," Kigai said between licks. She swung her legs back and forth, being that she was to short for them to touch the ground. "I was going to meet them at the park, but I couldn't figure out where to go."

"I can take you there after you're done with that," Haruka said, finishing the last of her cone. "I was just going out for a ride," she said remembering what she had originally been out for. She took one wary look around then smiled back at the girl.

"I'm ready now," Kigai said.

"Alright then," Haruka stood up and picked up the girl. Kigai couldn't really walk because the truck had destroyed her crutches. "Let's go!" She set Kigai on the seat of the motorcycle and gave her Michiru's helmet to wear then put her own on. She got on the motorcycle, and they sped off to the park.

Haruka stepped off of her bike. "Well, kiddo, we're here," she said and set the girl on the grass.

The asked cheerfully, "Do you think I could ride on your shoulders until we find..." Kigai stopped short and her round, green eyes widened in fear and then hardened into determination.

Haruka heard a scream from behind her. She turned around to see seven youma closing in on several picnickers. Her eyes mirrored what Kigai's had been moments before. She picked up the small girl and hurried over to a bush. "Kigai, stay in here, and you'll be safe, I'll be back," Haruka ordered and hurried over to a clump of trees to transform.

Kigai removed her helmet, sat thoughtfully for a moment, then fished a heart-shaped crystal from the hair bow on her bun. They yellow heart bore a dark silver Nega-moon sign.

Sailor Uranus rushed out of the trees. "Stop right there, you Negaverse filth!" she yelled, "Uranus World Shaking!" Two of the youma were struck by the attack and disappeared into nothing. The other five gazed hungrily at their attacker. They advanced slowly.

"Leave her alone!" a high-pitched voice ordered from not far away. A yellow clad Sailor Soldier leapt out of the bushes. She her hair style was like that of Usagi only it had only one bun on the top middle of her head. Her hair was yellow, and so was most everything else about her, except for her black bodice and gloves. "Yellow Sun Blinding Sunbeams Flash!" The yellow light struck three of the youma and they disappeared as well. "I'm Sailor Yellow Sun!" she announced triumphantly.

Two more tall, tomboyish senshi graced the scene; one in red and the other in red.

"Red Sun Solar Heat Wave!"

"Blue Sun Solar Flames Incinerate!"

The final two youma were defeated.

Uranus hurried over to the bushes where she had left Kigai. The helmet was still there, but the girl wasn't. "Kiddo?" she called. When no answer came she called again, worried, "Kiddo!"

"Over here!" a voice from behind her said. She turned around to see Sailor Yellow Sun waving at her.

She breathed a sigh of relief. _So Kigai was a senshi too..._

"Thanks again!" Yellow Sun called and started walking over to Uranus.

The blue senshi, Sailor Blue Sun, was on her in seconds. She grabbed her smaller colleague's arm firmly. "C'mon, we're going," she ordered fiercely, "You know we can't trust any of those senshi!"

"But she..." Yellow Sun protested.

Blue Sun pulled hard on the girl's arm and started to drag her off.

"But!"

Uranus was filled with rage, seeing someone treat Kigai like that. She yelled and raced over to the tiny girl's aid.

"Red Sun Solar Heat Wave!"

Uranus was blown to the ground, pain searing through her body. She groaned.

The red clad senshi, Sailor Red Sun, grabbed Yellow Sun's other arm and she and Sailor Blue Sun bounded off, carrying their small companion with them.

Uranus un-transformed and gravely took up the motorcycle helmet from the bushed, wincing in pain. She strapped on her own helmet and mounted her motorcycle then drove home.

"Well, friends, we have found them," Sailor Black Sun announced.

"Even Pink Sun, the lost soldier among our order," Sailor White Sun continued.

"When are we leaving?" a silver clad senshi asked, "I mean, to recover them?"

"That would most likely be up to the queen," another senshi wearing the color of bronze, commented lazily, "Right Silver Sun?"

The silver senshi scowled.

"Stop it, you two," the gold clad senshi ordered.

Sailor Bronze Sun Shrugged and Sailor Silver Sun scowled at her again.

"Where are they?" the gray clad soldier asked.

"On Earth," Black Sun answered.

"Where exactly on Earth?" the final senshi, in brown, asked.

"Tokyo, Japan," was White Sun's answer.


	3. Episode 3

Setsuna's New Job. Indigo Graces the Scene.

"This is how it has been decided," The beautiful queen of the sun began. She wore an elegant yellow gown trimmed with periwinkle and cyan blue. Her medium blonde hair was done in two small buns on top of her head, the signature of royalty at the time of the Silver and Golden Millenniums. The rest of her hair hung down to just below her shoulders. Two elegant sky blue wings were displayed majestically on her back and a crown of two wings, miniature versions of those on her back, framed the golden sun-star symbol of the Golden Millennium. "You, my daughter, will take your soldiers, the Sun Color Senshi, to the city on Earth called Tokyo. You must find Sailor Moon, the princess of the moon and possessor of the Imperiem Silver Crystal. She will help you purify your sister, her soldiers, and your lost soldier of the evil of the Negaverse. The princess has a kind heart and she will help you. I will follow shortly, for I much wish to see the lost senshi of our kingdom, my daughter, and the Princess Serenity. You are dismissed." The elegant queen waved to them and sat back down on her golden throne.

Sailor Spectrum and her seven soldiers exited the grand throne room.

"Princess Enogu?" Sailor Gray Sun asked politely.

"Yes?"

"I was thinking," she began quietly, "We will need a very strong shield to get through the fiery atmosphere of the sun and out into space... and we need it to last long against the coldness and lack of air."

White Sun nodded. "It is a long way to earth."

"You are correct. It would be best if we launched off the High Turret. There we will be able to gather the most power, for that is where the Sun Prism lies," The purple-haired princess agreed and started down the long golden corridors, her loyal guardians behind her.

"Helia!" A girl with shimmering lavender hair pushed through the bushes near Juuban High during lunch hour. "Solara! Apollo!" she called.

Makoto sighed, a new girl to the area, Shinwano Itazura, was looking for her lost cats _everywhere_. She took a slow bite out of one of her rice balls as she watched the loud Itazura crawl through the bushes.

"Mako-chan?" Usagi asked hopefully, "Are you going to eat the rest of that?"

"No, go right ahead," she said absently, still watching Itazura in the bushes.

There was a rustling ahead of her in the leaves and a yellow tail swished by. "Solara?" she asked and grabbed at the tail.

"MEOOW!!"

"WAAIIII!!!"

Meioh Setsuna surveyed her new patient with an amused yet critical look. She had recently become a nurse at Juuban High and she had never seen anything _this_ interesting. "Shinwano Itazura, what exactly did you do to yourself?"

"Umm... Well...." She started sheepishly, "I was looking for my lost cats and I thought I saw one of them in the bushes...but I guess I was wrong." She giggled nervously. Her shiny indigo hair that usually hung to her mid-back was matted and had many sticks and leaves prodding out of it. Her face and arms were covered in scratched from, apparently, cat claws and her legs had been scratched by the bushes when frantically tried to escape the cat. Her clothes were slightly shredded from both the bushes and the cat. The majority of her scratches were bleeding lightly.

"First we need to get you a different uniform for the time being, then we will clean up your scratches," Setsuna concluded. She bent down and pulled a spare uniform out of a box lying near by. She passed the neatly folded clothing to the scratched up girl. "Now, go put this on in that bathroom over there, then we'll fix up your scratches," she pointed to the door and smiled sweetly.

"Okay," Itazura grinned and hurried into the bathroom.

The tall, green-haired woman's smile faded as the girl shut the door. _There's something about her... I just can't say what. _She sighed. _There is both definite evil energy in her and definite good._ She pondered for a moment more and the girl came back.

"Now sit down," she urged gently and Itazura complied. Then she took a towel and put some soap and water on it and proceeded to wash the beautiful girl's scratches. Itazura winced. "I know it stings," Setsuna said calmly, "but you're going to have to tough it out. Otherwise, some of these might get infected."

She nodded.

After a long silence of cleaning scratches, the tall dark-haired nurse asked, "About your cats, how did they get lost?"

"Well," Itazura tried to come up with a reasonable answer, "They like to wander, but I haven't seen them in a long time, so I'm getting worried."

"Why don't you make posters?" Setsuna suggested as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and beginning of afternoon classes.

"Wow!" the idea struck the blue-eyed girl, "You're a genius Meioh-san!"

Setsuna blushed, "No, I'm not, but I love cats. I know three absolutely wonderful ones, myself."

"What are their names?" the girl asked innocently.

"Luna, Artimis, and their kitten Diana," the beautiful nurse answered.

"Hmm... They all have to do with the moon..." Itazura pondered quietly to herself.

A few moments later, a terrified scream was heard from out the window. Setsuna dropped the rag she had been using and rushed to the window. Nine hideous monsters were circling in on a helpless group of students. "_Youmas_" Setsuna sighed, frustrated. Then to Itazura she said, "I'll be right back, someone is hurt out there. You just stay put."

The girl nodded.

Setsuna hurried from the room, pulling out her henshin pen as she went. _There's something about that girl..._ She ducked into an empty classroom. "Pluto Crystal Power, Makeup!"

Shinwano Itazura moved over to the window. _Negaverse Youmas_, she thought, _they're everywhere!_ She fished the indigo heart-shaped compact from the bow on the back of her head. It had a dark silver, up-side-down crescent in its center: the symbol for the Nega-Moon.

"Curonos Cyclone!" Sailor Pluto yelled as her attack blasted two of the Youmas into oblivion. Two more blasted her with dark energy. She hoped that some of her fellow senshi would realize the danger soon. She was blasted against a tree. She moaned and reached for her staff, which had been blasted in another direction. Three of the creatures closed in hungrily around her while the other four moved closer in on the students. One blasted her again and another leapt for the staff.

"Indigo Invisible Beams Beat Down!" An indigo and black clad senshi, Sailor Indigo Sun, leaped into action. The three monsters surrounding Sailor Pluto vanished as the barely visible indigo energy struck them. Her bodice and gloves were of two shades of black. The rest of her uniform was a darker and lighter shade of indigo. Her broach and the compact on the bow in her shiny, shoulder-length, indigo hair bore the sign of the Negaverse. Her boots were mid-calf height and indigo. "Let's get rid of these brutes!" she said energetically with a wry smile on her face.

Pluto nodded and attacked. "Pluto Dead Scream!" Her indigo sphere of energy shot towards the group and destroyed one.

Sailor Indigo Sun, stared, concentrating, at her all the while. Then she turned and attacked as well. "Indigo Dead Scream!" This attack destroyed the last three.

Pluto stood there, dumbstruck. "How did you do that; imitate my attack?" she asked in disbelief.

The indigo senshi let out a loud, playful laugh. "I'm your Golden Counterpart," she answered and laughed some more.

Sailor Pluto still stood there, trying to comprehend what the senshi had meant.

"Glad to be of service Meioh-san!" Indigo Sun said and leaped off.

Usagi, Minako, Ami, and Makoto walked slowly home from school. Luna trotted beside them and Artimis rode on Minako's shoulder.

"Those Spectrum Senshi, from the sun, still puzzle me," Ami commented.

"Very true," Luna agreed, "I feel like I'm on the verge of remembering something, but it never comes."

"Those Youmas still bother me as well," Makoto said, "They could be anywhere, hurting anyone. Too bad we don't still have to moon stick to tell us if they are around."

"Let you're intuition do that," Artimis said, "You have grown much more powerful since then. Destroying minions of your first enemy should not be a challenge. You also know how to sense their presence."

Minako paused and turned to see Usagi staring at a flyer on a telephone pole, "Usagi?"

"You guys, look at this," she said and signaled for them to come.

They all walked over and Luna hopped onto Usagi's shoulder for a better look.

"Hmm..." Luna pondered when she saw it.

"Lost," Ami read, "Three cats. Answer to Apollo, Solara, and Helia. If found please contact Shinwano Itazura."

Also on the poster was a hurried drawing of three cats; one light orange, one midnight blue- almost black, and the third was the same yellow as Minako's hair. Each had a dark silver 'bald spot' in the shape of an up-side-down crescent on their forehead.

"Negamoon," Luna shuddered when she saw the symbol on their foreheads. "They must be related to the Sun Senshi. All their names have to do with the sun.

Artimis gasped. "Apollo!"


	4. Episode 4

Minako's New Rival. Strive for Victory!

Eight senshi worked their way silently up the winding staircase of the High Turret. When they reached the top, Sailor Spectrum sighed and said, "Well this is it. The High Turret is the highest point in all of the Golden Millennium. Look how much of our beautiful kingdom we can see from here." The princess gestured out towards the open air and their kingdom. "Not even Jupiter's Kingdom in its prime rivaled what we have now."

"We're up really high," Brown Sun whimpered, her long red-brown hair blowing every direction in the wind.

"Don't worry," Gray Sun, Brown Sun's partner, reassured her quietly, "You are perfectly safe up here."

"Are we ready, highness," Black Sun asked firmly.

"I suppose," Spectrum answered, taking one last look at the golden sky.

"Take your positions," Gold Sun ordered, her extremely short, layered, golden hair becoming nothing more than a nuisance in the high winds.

The eight senshi moved to their places on the outermost of the three circles engraved onto the floor of the High Turret. The smallest, innermost circle had only three points on it, for the three Royal Sun Senshi, Spectrum, Sunlight, and Sun. The middle circle of seven points was for the seven Sun Spectrum Senshi. Finally, the outermost circle, which they were using, was for the Sun Color Senshi. It had nine points. Each point was a small crystal star set into the floor that radiated the color of the senshi it represented. In the center of the High Turret sat a large crystal star inside a crystalline circle that shone a pure, bright light that was not one color or another.

Instead of taking her place at the innermost circle, the princess took her place between the two unoccupied points between Bronze Sun and Brown Sun on the outermost. Pink Sun was lost on Earth and Teal Sun had never been found after the Re-Awakening.

Spectrum shivered nervously. She hadn't used the power of the Sun Prism since the Re-Awakening and wasn't sure if she could.

"Can we go already, Highness?" Silver Sun asked impatiently.

She nodded and grabbed hands with the senshi on either side of her while the rest of her soldiers followed suit. Then she began summoning the power of the Sun Prism. "Spectrum Solar Power!" Princess Enogu yelled as a thin beam of multicolored light joined her tiara jewel to the Sun Prism.

The first to follow was Sailor Brown Sun, "Brown Sun Color Power!" A thin beam of black light joined her tiara jewel to the crystal in the center of their circle. The others followed in order around the circle.

"Gray Sun Color Power!"

"Black Sun Color Power!"

"White Sun Color Power!"

"Silver Sun Color Power!"

"Gold Sun Color Power!"

"Bronze Sun Color Power!"

Now eight beams of colored light shot outward from the Sun Prism and each of the eight senshi was glowing their respective color. Together all eight of them chorused, "Blast Off!"

A multicolored, spherical shield formed around them as they blasted into the air and towards the golden, burning atmosphere of the sun.

"Why are you so down, Artimis," Aino Minako asked the white cat energetically.

"It's that poster we saw," he sighed, slumping his shoulders as he walked. "My memories from the Silver Millennium are not totally back, but I know that I recognize that cat, Apollo. I'm not sure where from. It's on the verge of coming to me. I wish I knew."

"Don't be so hard on yourself!" Minako gave Artimis a hard pat on the back that sent him stumbling and laughed. "Right now all I want to worry about is getting back to school on time."

"You actually wanting to go to school at all?" Artimis commented skeptically.

"The volleyball tryouts are today, silly!" Minako exclaimed then went starry-eyed, "We haven't had any problems with major enemies for a long time. You know how much I've missed playing it. Now that I'm in senior high, I should join in!"

The blond giggled, grabbed Artimis, and ran off towards the school.

Minako scurried into the gym changed into her gym clothes. Despite her efforts, she was late. She skidded around the corner and right into another girl. The two went tumbling to the ground. The other girl was tall, thin, and beautiful with long, wavy, orange hair and a slightly darker orange bow tying it up in the back. She pushed Minako off of her and got up, dusting herself off and glaring harshly at Minako. She turned without a word and headed off to the center of the gym where the rest of the girls trying out for the team stood.

Minako stood up slowly and went to join the line. _Gee that girl is stuck up! I've never seen her before. I wonder who she is. She must be rich._

The volleyball coach, Mrs. Yuugi, cleared her through and said sternly, "You two are late. What are your names?"

"Aino Minako."

"Omoino Kanami," the beautiful girl replied.

"Alright Kanami and Minako, since you were late you will also have to tell us what experience you have with volleyball," the coach continued.

"Well," Minako began, "I use to play volleyball every year, but I had to stop for three years."

"Good," Mrs. Yuugi nodded and jotted something down on her clip board. "Now, Kanami?"

"I just have played it a couple times with my friends and liked it," Kanami answered, brushing her hair over her shoulder gracefully.

"I see," the coach answered and wrote down some more. Then she turned to the whole group of girls. "Now that that's through, go and line up at that end of the court. I'll start lobbing balls to you as you rotate through the line."

The girls lined up at one end of the court and Mrs. Yuugi stood at the other end with a basket of volleyballs. "The first thing I want to see from all of you is a bump," she said and began hitting the balls across the net.

Each of the girls took their turn rushing up, bumping the ball over the net, and hurrying back to the line. All of them did well.

"Next the set!"

This time a few girls messed up.

"Now the spike!"

More girls missed, but both Minako and Kanami continued to do flawlessly.

_For just playing a couple times with her friends that Kanami is awfully good._ Minako hurried up to the net and cleanly spiked the ball.

Mrs. Yuugi collected the balls and had the girls line up again. "You six," she gestured to some of the girls and then to the court, "go on that side. You six, go on the other. The rest of you, go and sit on those benches over there. Those of you on the court, I'd like you to play a quick scrimmage; five minutes long. Then, you other twelve can play a game as well."

Both Minako and Kanami were in the group to sit on the benches. As the scrimmage began, Kanami sat down and Minako took a sat near her.

After a short while of watching the intense game, Minako turned to the beautiful orange-haired girl and asked, "Hey, Kanami, are you new to Juuban High?"

"Of course," she answered dismissively, "I am a freshman, and so are you. I'm just as new as you are, I'm sure."

"That's not what I meant!" Minako said defensively. The beautiful girl was definitely acting stuck up. "I mean, didn't you come to this school since the school year started?"

"Yes," she replied, "why do you ask?"

"Well, I didn't recognize you," Minako answered, "Out of curiosity, where are you from?"

"You shouldn't be so nosey," was Kanami's only answer. She turned away and continued to watch the game.

Minako sighed. She wasn't going to let this girl get on the team and not her.

The coach blew the whistle signaling the end of the first scrimmage. "You girls can have the bench now," she said, "You six there, go on that side. The other six can go on the other."

Minako, Kanami, and the other ten girls got up and went to their respective sides. Soon she found out that Kanami was on her team. She wouldn't be competing against her as she had hoped. She would have to work with her.

The whistle blew and the game started. The ball was volleyed back and forth before it finally came to Minako. She reached up to set it, but missed. She couldn't believe it. Her team was doing so well, and she was the one to ruin it for them!

An instant later, the ball came back over her head from behind her. She turned around. Kanami had bumped even after Minako had missed. The thin girl gave her s smug look that said, 'I know I'm better than you. You don't have to point it out.'

That girl never ceased to make Minako angry. She wasn't going to let anything like that happen again.

The game went on at a lightning pace with Minako giving it her all. Mistakes would be made and points scored, but never again did Minako miss. Not only was she playing flawlessly but so was Kanami. She had to somehow prove that she was better.

Seconds before the end of the game with the score tied, a girl on the other side spiked the ball right in front of Minako. She didn't have time to think. _Not again! It'll be my fault that we loose!_ Before she could even try to make the awkward dive for it, Kanami had. She bumped it up high: high enough, in fact, for Minako to spike it. And that's exactly what she did. The ball struck the floor on the other side of the net with a loud smack and bounced away as Mrs. Yuugi blew the whistle.

"That's enough girls," she said then called the girls who had been sitting on the bench over to the court. "All of you did a very good job. I congratulate you. It will be difficult to choose only fifteen of you for the team. A list of those who made the team will be posted tomorrow outside of this gym. You may all go now."

As the girls headed out of the gym chatting with one another, the coach called out, "Minako! Kanami!"

The two girls paused and turned around.

"You two had some great teamwork in that scrimmage!" she said. "Are you two friends?"

Kanami raised an eyebrow and put forth an expression that said quite plainly, 'Friends?'

"Well, um... We just met today," Minako said tactfully.

"Oh," Mrs. Yuugi said, "At any rate, you two did exceptionally well."

"Thank you," the orange-haired girl replied politely and headed out of the gym.

Minako beamed and hurried out of the gym as well.

Minako pulled on her uniform and straightened her bow. Then she strolled back out of the locker room and headed outside. Artimis was waiting patiently in the bushes for her.

"So how did it go?" he asked, emerging from the bushes.

"Really well!" Minako answered enthusiastically as she continued walking. "Yuugi-san seemed to think I was good, but there was this girl..." Minako stopped short as she heard a scream coming from the parking lot. She took off at a sprint. _It must be some of those Youma! I hope no one is seriously injured!_ She skidded to a stop as she reached the parking lot. Sure enough, there were six Youma surrounding the volleyball coach. She screamed again and one of the creatures blasted her with dark energy.

"Mina-chan!" Artimis urged.

Minako nodded and ducked behind a car and pulled out her henshin pen. "Venus Crystal Power, Makeup!"

From her place on top of a car Sailor Venus announced, pointing at the group of Youma, "Stop right there! Attacking an admired volleyball coach is something I cannot forgive! I'm Sailor Venus, and in the name of Beauty and Love, I'll punish you!"

All six of the creatures turned to look hungrily at her. Two let out blasts of dark energy in her direction. She leapt off the car and dodged them then attacked: "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Both disappeared with a moan. The others hesitated, not sure whether to attack or not.

"Impressive," a familiar voice said sarcastically. Minako whirled around to see another senshi, clad in two shades of orange and two shades of black. She had long, wavy, orange hair tied up in an orange bow. Her broach bore the sign of the Negamoon.

"Kanami!" Venus gasped quietly.

"Now watch a professional, Silver Senshi!" the orange senshi said and took up an attack stance. "Orange Solar Flare!" Orange light shot though the air and enveloped the four remaining Youma. They all disintegrated.

Sailor Venus gaped. This senshi was more powerful than she was. "You're—" she stuttered.

"Sailor Orange Sun of the Golden Millennium," she finished for Minako, smirking, "I know what you're thinking. _Of course_ I'm better than you Aino-san. I always have been and always will be!"

Minako simply gaped, hurt.

"Take that back!" Artimis yelled charging at Orange Sun, claws ready.

"Not so fast kitty. Orange Solar Flare!" she directed her attack at Artimis.

"Artimis! No!" Venus yelled. She had see what that attack had done to _four_ Youma. The soldier of love dove for her guardian cat and pushed him out of the way, taking the full blast of the attack herself. She screamed and moaned while her transformation reversed.

"Minako..." Artimis gasped quietly.

"That will teach you to mess with a Sun Spectrum Senshi!" Sailor Orange Sun said and strutted off chuckling to herself.

Once the orange senshi was gone, Artimis trotted up to the limp Venus and nudged her gently. "Minako?"

When she didn't answer, the white cat panicked, "Minako!"

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Setsuna standing near by, looking worried. "I'll take her to the nurses' office," she began, visibly concerned, "and I'll see what I can do to help her. She'll recover, but I'm not sure how soon. I should probably take Yuugi-san as well. She looks like she's been hurt as well."

Artimis nodded, wanting to cry.

Setsuna picked up Minako and carried her off towards the school.


	5. Episode 5

Hotaru's Healing Powers. The Violet Senshi Skirmish!

Setsuna hovered protectively over Minako's unconscious body lying on a bed in the nurses' office. Artimis was laid out across her chest, looking rather sad.

There was a knock at the door and she rushed over to open it to find Ami, Usagi, Rei, and Makoto waiting at the door. "Setsuna-chan?" Usagi asked tentatively.

The beautiful green-haired woman shook her head, but still led the four girls to Minako's bed.

Artimis looked up but said nothing.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do," Setsuna said sadly, "But wait for her to wake up again. Although, I'm not sure how soon that will be..."

All of the girls looked about to cry. "You four run along," Setsuna suggested, "Artimis and I can take care of her."

They nodded and reluctantly left. Only a few minutes later, Hotaru showed up at the door. "Setsuna-mama?"

"Oh Hotaru!" she started, "I'm so sorry! I forgot all about bringing you home today... It's just that Minako got tangled up in something rather unpleasant."

Without a word, the tiny, dark-haired child glided over to Minako and her guardian cat. "A senshi hurt her," she stated, rather than asked. The nurse did not ask how she knew, Hotaru could just do things like that.

"Which reminds me," Setsuna started, "I need to make some phone calls and let Haruka and Michiru know what has happened. They would want to know."

Hotaru nodded and sat gingerly on the end of another bed opposite the love senshi's body as Setsuna left the room. Hotaru saw this as her time to see if she could help Venus, fearing that Setsuna would forbid her to do so.

As soon as the beautiful nurse was out of an earshot, she hopped back off the bed and tiptoed over to Minako's bed. Artimis raised his head and gave her an expectant look.

"I'm going to try to help her..." she said in her high, little voice.

"Mm-hm," he nodded and hopped off of Minako's chest and on to the floor next to the younger girl.

Hotaru reached out with her right hand and placed it over the blond girl's heart. The air around the two of them began to glow a slight violet color. She closed her purple eyes and concentrated hard, her forehead creasing.

There were footsteps at the door and the glowing around the two senshi disappeared. Without flinching or turning around, Hotaru said coldly, "One of your senshi did this to her. What do _you_ want?" Her hand was still over Minako's heart and she stared blankly ahead of herself. Artimis whirled around, but also held his ground.

"I... ah... wanted to see who was using those powers," the visitor said in a high and sweet, yet unsure, voice.

Hotaru finally turned around slowly. The girl had pale skin like her own and lavender eyes to match. Her hair was a shade lighter than royal purple and was held in a bun my a light violet bow on the back of her head and it looped slightly up in a ponytail thicker than her arm that reached almost down to her waist. She looked about Minako's age and was also wearing the Juuban High uniform of navy and red. "Now that you've seen," she said with a dangerously icy edge to her voice, "You had best leave."

A smirk crossed the girl's face, "I had thought that my counterpart would be more intelligent than the rest and see eye-to-eye with us. After all, you, young one, were not part of that original offense. I suppose I was wrong..."

"I said leave," Hotaru said, her voice growing to a level close to a whisper as she glared hard at her intruder. Her fists clenched and the air around her began to glow.

"Is that a challenge, _Hotaru_?" she asked mockingly, revealing that she knew the tiny girl's name.

"_Who are you?_" Hotaru asked dangerously, "Or wait— two can play at that game..." Her eyes went out of focus for a moment then returned. "You are Rasutono Jika. Now _leave_ Jika."

"I think not," Jika declared, taking one step forward.

"Leave _now_!" Hotaru almost yelled, the violet glow around her tiny body intensifying.

"_No._" Jika took one more daring step forward.

Blinding violet light flashed across the room as the tiny girl's patience snapped. A moment later, she held her immense glaive pointing towards Jika in two outstretched hands, her eyes flashing with anger as Jika only smirked and removed a heart-shaped crystal from the bow on her head. It was violet in color and had a dark silver Negamoon sign on its front face.

"Saturn Crystal Power, Makeup!" Hotaru yelled holding one hand over her head. Her whole body turned a whitish translucent color as violet streams of power twined down from the tip of her weapon and created her fuku.

Meanwhile, Jika had plans of her own. She held the crystal heart over her head and yelled, "Violet Sun Spectrum Power, Makeup!" A flash of slightly more jewel-like violet light enveloped her and Sailor Violet Sun emerged. She had fuku of two different shades of violet, the bows being the same color as her hair bow and the rest darker with a bodice and gloves of two different shades of black. She had tall boots that laced up like Sailor Saturn's and were of a deep violet color.

"I am Sailor Saturn!" the younger senshi declared, "I am the senshi of destruction and the most powerful next to our princess. I could destroy a whole planet, you would be of no challenge. Believe me when I say this. Leave now!"

"And I say it again," Sailor Violet Sun said mockingly, "I think not!"

"Death Reborn Revolution!" She yelled and white ribbons rocketed towards the sun senshi.

At the last moment Violet Sun raised her hands and yelled, "Violet Silence Wall!" The ribbons met the wall and dissipated. "Anything you've got, I can use as well," she smirked, "I've got a job to do, so get out of my way and let me do it!"

"You _will not_ touch Minako-chan _or_ Artimis," she declared and rushed across the office, around a table and to her Golden Counterpart, swing her deadly Silence Glaive.

"Just stop me!" she laughed and launched herself into a powerful leap and onto the table and launched her attack at Sailor Saturn's back. "Violet Ultra Rays!" Then she leapt to the floor near Minako's bed. She put her hand on the blond girl's chest and began to quickly undo Hotaru's healings.

Sailor Saturn yelped and was flung to the floor as her weapon went flying. She quickly pulled herself up and scrambled to get it.

Artimis launched into the air with his claws out and yoweling. He landed on the sun senshi's back and began scratching madly. "Leave her alone!" he yelled between yowls.

"Eeeek!" she screeched as the white cat ripped though her fuku and caused blood to come running down her arms. She turned wildly, attempting to shake Artimis loose.

Hotaru rushed forward with her glaive poised to strike. Artimis saw her coming and leaped off just in time as she swung for Violet Sun's neck. She stopped just short, the razor sharp blade resting on the right side of the taller girl's neck.

Jika closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew that the younger senshi _would_ follow through on her very real threat if provoked. "Fine," she said calmly, "You win this fight. Let me go and I'll leave you and this girl alone. I promise you this."

"Fine," Saturn retorted, and pulled her blade back and down, leaving a small, thread-sized slash on Sailor Violet Sun's neck.

The girl hissed in pain, her eyes snapping back open, and put her right hand to the small wound. She sighed, and slowly removed her hand. Only a slightly glowing scar remained of the slash and the violet glow faded quickly. The scar, however, remained. It always would. Wounds from the Silence Glaive always left their mark on a victim, for eternity.

Closing her eyes silently, the violet ribbons of her transformation became visible and gathered at the crystalline heart on the bow in her hair. Seconds later, Sailor Violet Sun was no more and Rasutono Jika stood in her place. She turned and went silently for the door. When she reached it, Jika turned and said quietly, "Until another day, Tomoe Hotaru." With that, she was gone.

Sailor Saturn shivered apprehensively then set her glaive down near the bed and resumed her healing. In not long, Minako was breathing more regularly and her color had returned. She was still unconscious, but she looked, and was, much better.

Saturn picked up her glaive and untransformed, the impressive weapon disappearing.

Hotaru skipped over to the other bed and sat down on the end of it just as Setsuna returned. Her garnet eyes darted from the mess on the table to Hotaru to Minako and back to Hotaru again. "Did you—?"she asked perplexed.

Hotaru only nodded.


	6. Episode 6

Still More _Youma_! Green Joins the Battles!

Kino Makoto strolled down the street, still worried about her close friend Minako. Even though Setsuna had said that her condition had mysteriously improved, it was implied that Hotaru had something to do with it, Mina was in no condition to even get up and walk. She had only woken up once so far, and that was only for a few minutes. Makoto wanted so bad to give some of the Sun Senshi a piece of her mind.

Noticing a flower shop on the other side of the street, she decided to go visit it. Plants always made her feel better.

She went to the street corner and crossed the road then to the small shop called 'Kotori's Floral'. When she opened the door and stepped inside, she was bombarded by a plethora of sweet scents. Makoto inhaled deeply and sighed.

A short woman in a pink apron sauntered over to the tall brunette with a pleasant smile on her face, "Can I help you, miss?"

"No, but thank you," Makoto replied cheerfully, "I just wanted to take a look around."

"Alright," the woman said and started walking away, "Let me know if you need anything."

Makoto moved over to a display of pink roses and buried her face in them. She loved roses...

Just then someone bumped into her. Makoto felt a surge of energy run through her, almost painfully. She casually spun around with her eyes narrowed bent on finding who or what caused that.

The only person near by was a girl with long green hair done in a bun on the top of her head, held in place with a scrunchie with a bow on it, and three long ponytails coming down from it. It looked almost like a strange modification on Usagi's hairstyle. The girl was examining a bouquet of green carnations intently.

Makoto opened her mouth and was about to say something but the girl turned around and spoke first. "I see you like plants as well, **_Juptar_**," she said and held out one carnation flower, "Smell. It is very sweet."

Makoto took the blossom and smelled it. Just as the girl had claimed, it was sweet. A thought struck her and she shoved the mint green flower back at the green-haired girl. "You're one of those—!"she began angrily, but was cut off.

"Yes," the girl said simply, but continued cheerfully, "I am . And you are?"

"Kino Makoto, but—"Makoto replied, rather cofused. Wasn't an enemy?

"Pleased to meet you, Kino-san," she started but a scream from the doorway stopped her. The flower shop owner gave a look of terror and dove beneath a table.

snatched a green crystal heart off of the bow in her hair and hurried behind a display while Makoto produced her transformation wand and ducked behind another.

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Makeup!" After a flurry of green energy and lightning, Sailor Jupiter stood poised and ready for battle. She hurried outside to see about twelve _youma_ standing in the street and blasting any people who dared come near. To her surprise, a green and black clad senshi, as Sailor Green Sun, was already standing out on the sidewalk and attacking the monsters.

"Green Flares Auroras Dance!" she yelled and a shimmering mass of green light shot at the cluster of _youma_ and four of them disappeared with a scream. She turned to the tall brunette senshi who was standing beside her, "You're turn _Juptar._"

Sailor Jupiter nodded. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Lightning cracked and a burst of green leaves shot at the evil creatures, destroying five. Three still remained.

"I'd like to try something..." Sailor Green Sun suggested.

Sailor Jupiter nodded in agreement as the green-haired girl extended her hand. Jupiter took it.

"Green Sun Spectrum Power!" she yelled.

"Jupiter Crystal Power!" Sailor Jupiter echoed.

"Golden!"

"Silver!"

"Counterparts Shine!" they finally yelled together and a green energy sphere, sparkling with lightning, shot from their clasped hands to the group of _youma_. All three disappeared without a sound.

Sailor Jupiter gaped at what they did with her mouth open. Suddenly a blast of blue light energy sent her sprawling across the sidewalk and into the window of the flower shop, shattering it and covering her in bloody scratches. She moaned and looked up.

A senshi dressed in blue and black was perched on top of a light post and was glaring down at Green Sun and Jupiter. "I'm disappointed in you, Sailor Green Sun. She is our enemy! She attacked Sailor Yellow Sun and attempted to kidnap our princess, Sailor Sunlight, Chibisun. Just because she is your counterpart does not mean you are on the same side! I am only forgiving you for this, Sailor Green Sun, because you _are_ on my same side!" the blue senshi, presumably Sailor Blue Sun, leaped gracefully down from the light and strutted over to Sailor Green Sun, who was visibly trembling. She slapped her square across the face.

Sailor Green Sun whimpered and flinched— but did not protest.

"Let this be a lesson to you," she said firmly and began to walk away. "Come Green Sun," she added without pausing or turning at all.

Sailor Green Sun nodded reluctantly, then followed. "I am deeply sorry, Blue-san," she said quietly, but Sailor Blue Sun did not react. Green Sun paused for a moment and turned her head to gaze apologetically at Sailor Jupiter, "I am also deeply sorry, _Juptar._"

"Green Sun!" the fierce, older senshi reminded sharply, but did not stop walking.

"Sorry!" the green-haired girl squeaked and followed quickly. The spectrum senshi quickly vanished from site around a corner.

Sailor Jupiter slowly pushed herself up out of the shattered glass and groaned. _The owner of the flower shop is not going to like this..._

"Your Highness, Queen Astra!" a guard said succinctly, saluting his queen, then dropped to one knee on the golden carpet in front of her throne, "A small child wishes to see you. She says that she is the Last Soldier."

"Bring her in," The beautiful queen ordered, gracefully gesturing with her right arm to the golden, arched doorway.

"Yes my queen!" he said as he rose to his feet again and saluted. The guard turned on his heels and strutted back down the carpet and out the doorway.

A small girl, not more than seven years old, stepped in the throne room tentatively. Or it would have been tentatively if not for the bold look in her amber colored eyes. She was wearing an elegant amber dress to match her eyes but her boyishly short, teal hair was in a horrible mess. She looked her queen defiantly in the eyes and marched up the long, golden carpet, stopping just in front of the throne. She broke her gaze for only a moment as she bowed to the queen, but resumed it immediately.

"So you say you are Sailor Teal Sun," the queen started in an even, calming tone, "Do you child?"

"Yes, Queen Astra," the girl said. Her voice was deeper than average for a girl of her age.

"Then go find the teal broach and return to me as the soldier you claim to be," Queen Astra commanded, adjusting her pale blue wings slightly.

The young girl nodded and scurried out of the throne room. She was back in a matter of minutes, dressed in her senshi fuku of two shades of teal and a bodice of white. "Is it I, Queen?" she asked, grinning.

"Yes, Sailor Teal Sun. So I see that you have finally surfaced and I also see why. Your age says it all. As I remember, you were the oldest before the rebirth and were killed in my defense just before I put the kingdom into dormancy. I praise you for your bravery and welcome your return," The queen said, finally breaking a warm smile across her perfect face, "Now what was your name, child?"

"I am ," Teal Sun replied simply.

The queen nodded pensively. "I am glad that you came now, for I have found the need to take a trip to a city on Earth to reclaim my youngest daughter and meet the moon princess. I plan on leaving this evening," Astra informed the young senshi thoughtfully, resting her chin in one hand, "You shall accompany me there. After all, you partner, Sailor Pink Sun, has just been released from the Negaverse."

The girl's eyes brightened and her smile widened, "Yes, Highness. I would be glad to accompany you."

"Good to hear that, my dear," the queen sighed and nodded, "Let us go to dinner and then we shall leave from the High Turret directly after."


	7. Episode 7

Mercury's Troubles. The Battle of Minds!

Ami sighed as she walked down the street, book bag in one hand swinging carelessly. She had just finished her schoolwork for the weekend and had nothing to do. She did not really want to return home yet.

Like the rest of the Sailor Senshi, she was slightly depressed. Minako _was_ recovering and had been returned to her home to rest, but she was in no condition to battle yet. Sailor Venus' defeat and the apparent power of the Sun Senshi was hitting all of them hard.

"I suppose I could stop by school and see how my scores on that last test came out. They should be up by now. And maybe the volleyball team listing will be up as well..." the blue-haired girl mused quietly to herself. Acting on that thought, she headed off towards Juuban High.

"A tie!" she exclaimed quietly as she looked at the standings. Someone by the name of Mame Bengosha had also gotten a score of 100. She hadn't seen anything like this for a long time...

A shadow moved across the announcements board and a low female voice spoke from behind her, "So you're Mizuno Ami, I presume. I see that our scores tied, not surprising at all. I would expect my counterpart to be at least close to as intelligent as myself."

Ami turned around slowly, mouth hanging untactfully open. "Mame Bengosha?" she asked quietly as she surveyed the girl. Bengosha was a full head and a half taller than Ami and had intelligent looking sapphire eyes and boyishly short hair the same color. It was tied into a thin, curling ponytail at the nape of her neck, the ponytail being no longer than her hand. For no apparent reason, she had a large, light blue bow in her hair on the top of her head. She had a very thin, yet strong build, making her look very dangerous. The scowl on her face looked fixed there. She, like Ami, was wearing the Juuban uniform of navy and red.

Bengosha shrugged indifferently and sauntered over to another part of board and ran her fingers up and down a list with 'Volleyball Team Standings' written in bright letters across the top. "Ah," she said as she examined it, "It looks like both your friend and mine received top slots on the team. Too bad that Aino girl is out of action, and will be for quite a while yet. It is also too bad that they will never work together. _Not ever._" She turned and finally made eye-contact with Ami, her eyes filled with contempt. Her last phrase cut right through to Ami's heart.

"You're the one who attacked Jupiter!" the smaller girl said accusingly, her anger building.

"Not without her deserving it," she said indifferently, not yet breaking her angry gaze.

"You and your senshi need to stop hurting my friends!" Ami exclaimed, clenching her fists.

"The first offense was no ours!" Bengosha declared angrily, taking one step forward.

"It doesn't matter who started it! I just want to end it!" Ami yelled back, taking a defiant step forward as well.

"I'd like to see you try!" Bengosha challenged her back, advancing yet another step.

"Trust me, I will!" Ami retorted, her transformation pen appearing in her hand. "Mercury Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"I'll take that challenge!" Bengosha retorted, pulling a blue crystal heart from the bow in her hair. "Blue Sun Spectrum Power, Makeup!"

Dual flashes of blue surrounded the girls, when they came out of their transformations the two senshi continued to glare angrily at one another.

Sailor Blue Sun was the first to make her move. "Blue Solar Flames Incinerate!"

Sailor Mercury shrieked in pain as the blue light hit her and sent her flying into a nearby wall. She shakily pulled herself back to her feet. "Don't think I can be defeated that easily!" she declared proudly, but was breathing hard. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Sailor Blue Sun was caught off guard and took the attack full force. She stumbled backwards and cursed, glaring hard at her opponent. "I'll say the same to you!" the blue senshi said, her sapphire eyes filled with rage. "Blue Solar Flames Incinerate!"

Mercury was prepared this time, and dodged the blast of light as Blue Sun cursed.

As she caught her balance, Sailor Mercury caught a glimpse of a cluster of _youma_ creeping across the schoolyard.

"_Youma_!" she exclaimed and sped off for the door to stop them.

Sailor Blue Sun held her ground and fumed. "Coward!" she screamed after Sailor Mercury as she ran away.

Mercury ducked out the door and sighed in relief. She might have eleven _youma_ to deal with, but at least Sailor Blue Sun had not followed her. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" she yelled, pouring her energy into the attack to destroy as many of the evil creatures as possible. Seven of them disappeared shrieking. "Alright!" she exclaimed happily, "Now here goes another. Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" The remaining five disappeared this time.

Sailor Mercury considered going back to face her Golden Counterpart, but quickly decided against it. Instead, she untransformed and headed home.

"I can't stand this fighting!" a small, sickly girl whimpered. She had two pointy blond buns on either side of her head and pigtails that looped back up into them while her outfit was unremarkable. "I know you all say it is avenging me, but sooner or later, one of you will get hurt. They Silver Moon Senshi are not as weak as you believe."

"It is necessary for us to fight!" Sailor Pink Sun, who was standing near her, declared, "We must secure this area for us to stay safely in and teach the people here that we are not to be trifled with. Besides, I will not let you to command no confrontations while Red Sun has not yet met her counterpart."

"True," the girl responded and sighed.

Just then a rather ragged looking Sailor Blue Sun burst through the doors and marched up to the chair that the young girl had been using as a throne. She knelt to one knee and began. "Princess Aiji," she addressed her princess formally, then started right into her story with vehemence, "I have just returned from a violent confrontation with my counterpart, Sailor Mercury. We spoke for a short while before she transformed and demanded a duel. In which she hurt me badly and then fled after she had gotten a blow in. Coward, I say! These senshi here _do not_ have peaceful intentions! I request a petition for Sailor War."

The young princess paled and nodded. "Pink Sun," she began quietly, "Poll my soldiers and we shall see how the votes fall."

Sailor Pink Sun's salmon-colored eyes wend blank and out of focus for almost a minute. When they returned to focus, she announced the totals, "Including myself, six say yes, one is undecided, and a final one says no. The votes have fallen in favor of the idea. Although, Sailor Red Sun requests that you do not put it into effect until she has met with Sailor Mars."

"Traitors!" Blue Sun cursed quietly.

"I declare that we are now under the conditions of Sailor War with the Silver Moon Senshi as soon as Red Sun returns," the sun princess declared with a certain tone of uncertainty in her voice.

Blue Sun looked rather pleased. "Thank you, Highness," she said and stood up to go just as Aiji curled up in a fit of coughing.

"Princess!" Pink Sun exclaimed and immediately went to her aid.


	8. Episode 8

Red is Final. Sailor War Begins!

Rei hurried around the temple, cleaning it for the Sailor Meeting that she was hosting that evening. Even the often-aloof Outer Senshi would be attending. She straightened the cushions in their favorite meeting room around the small table then moved on to the fire-reading room.

She grabbed her broom and padded down the narrow paneled hallway. When she reached it, Rei carefully slid the door open and started her sweeping.

Setting her broom momentarily aside, the young priestess bent down and stirred the coals from the fire ritually.

Suddenly, the flames flared up into a roaring fire. Rei stumbled backwards in terror and surprise.

Framed in the fire, there was an image: a girl dressed in red and black senshi fuku was walking purposely forward with a slight smirk on her face. She had boyishly short red hair and a red bow on the front, left side of her head where a short, curving strand of hair hung down and looped back up just above her shoulder. _Sailor Red Sun..._The fire suddenly roared up then shrunk into just a pile of glowing coals.

Rei shuddered.

Picking up her broom, she hurriedly swept the remainder of the room and left it. The sooner she got out of there the better. After a little more dusting around the temple, she had shaken off her evil feeling. With a lighter heart, she headed out to the front porch, broom in hand.

Rei had barely began sweeping when she sensed a somehow familiar presence near by. She glanced up warily, her violet eyes darting in all directions. Sure enough, they came to rest on the figure of an average looking girl with short red hair with a bow in it and lighter red eyes who was perched lightly on the porch railing. She wore the Juuban uniform and the red bow on the front accented her slightly darker red hair.

"You," Rei murmured quietly with a dangerous edge to her voice, "What do you want?"

"What do _I_ want?" the girl said and a grin spread across her face, "Well, Hino Rei, I don't know. I thought I just might pay a visit to my Silver Counterpart. After all, I'm the last to meet mine."

"How do you—?" Rei stammered, startled that the girl knew her name, then remembered something, "Oh, I can play that game too! You better watch out Kieno Furea! You don't know what you're up against!"

"Good to see you use your powers to a good use Rei," Furea commented sarcastically and hopped down to the porch. She still had a sneering grin on her face, "I really think you should be the one to watch out. I know plenty of what I am facing. _I was alive_ during your last lifetime. I knew you. You don't remember a thing about me!"

Rei's mouth just hung open.

"The real reason I'm here is that I have a score to settle," Furea's grin lessened into a smirk, "I cannot forgive you or any of the Silver Moon Senshi for what you did to my princess. Prepare to be beaten!"

"Ha!" Rei said defiantly, and her transformation rod was immediately in her hand. "Mars Crystal Power, Makeup!"

Furea pulled a red crystal heart from the bow in her hair and held it into the air, "Red Sun Spectrum Power, Makeup!"

After the swirling crimson flames and red light subsided, two senshi stood before each other, ready to battle.

"You'll regret what you did, Sailor Mars," the girl yelled furiously, "Red Solar Heat Wave!"

Unlike the slightly younger senshi, Mars held her temper and dodged out of the way. "Mars Flame Sniper!" she aimed her fiery arrow and shot.

Mars' counterpart was to blinded with rage and her love for fighting, that she didn't see the attack coming. It hit her square in the chest.

She screamed in pain and grabbed at the railing she had been sitting on for support.

Sailor Red Sun's eyes reeled angrily as she pulled herself up. "DIE!" she screamed at the top of her voice and, instead of attacking, ran straight for Sailor Mars. She punched her hard in the gut and leaped past onto the lawn. "Red Flame Sniper!" she aimed her own fire arrow at Mars and shot it.

Doubled over in pain, Sailor Mars just barely managed to get out of the attack's way in time. Still, it painfully grazed her shoulder. She cursed in pain and jumped down to the lawn to face her enemy.

"Mars Flame—"

"Red Solar Heat—"

The two prepared to attack at the same time.

"Sniper!"

"Wave!"

The fire arrow and red light beam met mid-air, the latter consuming the first and continuing on, only slightly decimated. All of the energy from Sailor Red Sun's hatred and rage was contained in the attack.

Mars shrieked even before it hit her. She couldn't avoid it. Just as she thought the end was near, a familiar voice called across the lawn.

"Silence Wall!"

A shield of pulsing powerful energy surrounded Sailor Mars just in time and the red light reflected back off of it, returning its deadly wrath on its creator.

Red Sun screamed in terrible pain and nearly collapsed onto the ground. Only her pride gave her the strength to avoid doing so. Glancing around, she found herself very surrounded.

"Invited by a new era, I am Sailor Pluto, soldier of the third realm, forbidden Hades!"

"Attacking my best friend and fellow senshi is something I cannot forgive. I am the pretty suited sailor soldier, Sailor Venus. In the name of Love and Beauty, I will see to it that you are punished!"

"Invited by a new era, I am Sailor Saturn, soldier of silence and destruction!"

"Saturn! Venus! Pluto!" Sailor Mars cheered happily, "Thanks for saving me from that!"

"No problem," Sailor Saturn said in her hauntingly mature voice.

"Now, Sailor Red Sun," Venus said bitterly, "You're surrounded. And you're going to pay for hurting my friend! Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

The golden hearts rushed at the weak and cornered senshi. She shrieked and dove to the ground.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

"Curonos Cyclone!"

"Silence Glaive Surprise!"

Entirely helpless now, Sailor Red Sun rolled out of the way of the second attack and pushed herself up. She found an opening between Pluto and Venus and took it.

The red and black senshi tore across the grassy lawn and into the woods as fast as her legs could carry her. Without looking back, she shrieked breathlessly just before she disappeared into the forest, "You'll pay for this, Silver Senshi! Soon you'll really regret this!"

There was a long moment of silence after Sailor Red Sun left.

"I guess being early wasn't such a bad thing," Sailor Venus said brightly.

Nine girls, Rei, Setsuna, Minako, Hotaru, Usagi, Makoto, Ami, Haruka, and Michiru, sat around the small, low table in the small temple room often used for studying.

"They obviously want to kill us all," Rei argued flatly.

"That has been made apparent by the many attacks on us by the Sun Senshi," Ami said in her most precise voice.

"I won't believe that," Haruka growled and ran her hand through her short hair, "Kigai would never do something like that. She is too pure. I can feel it."

"That may be true," Setsuna commented, "As I can hardly believe the same for Itazura—"

"—Or Chou," Makoto interrupted quickly.

"But they could be good actors, or very well controlled by the others," she continued, "I think most of us have met Sailor Blue Sun, and she shows a good example of how that could happen. I can see that Itazura, for example, lives right in the moment. She is likely to act kindly to me at one moment, then the following she would turn and attack me. I believe that she holds her fellow soldiers of the Sun in very high regard."

"When Green Sun helped me destroy the _youma_ and Blue Sun caught her, she slapped Chou," Makoto added her own story, "And Chou followed her orders obediently."

"Those two, Red and Blue Sun," Uranus said, seeing how things could work out, "Make a deadly team. Blue seems to be in charge and Red carries out her wishes almost as ruthlessly as Blue Sun. When Sailor Yellow Sun and I were fighting some _youma_, the two suddenly showed up and dragged her off, not after attacking me, of course. They said that we, the Silver Moon Senshi, can't be trusted, and left. I still hold to the fact that Kigai is not capable of evil, but I can see how she could be forced to attack us."

"Honestly," the small, black-haired child piped up, "I don't think that they are harmless. They sent Sailor Violet Sun to finish Minako off while she was down. Jika wanted to _kill_ her. Orange Sun wanted to do the same."

Just then, Ami laughed slightly, "This is slightly off the subject, but both Minako _and_ Kanami made the top two slots of the volleyball team."

Minako's eyes widened and she jumped up happily, "I made it! I made it! Yea! Whoo hoo!"

"Minako-chan," Setsuna scolded gently, "Sit down, you're still not fully recovered from Orange Sun's attack."

The blond looked embarrassed and horridly returned to her seat on the ground.

"Let's gather what we all know," Luna suggest from her perch on a pillow next to Usagi.

"I think most of their attacks revolve around their 'Silver Counterparts'," Michiru observed, "Usagi and I are the only one not to meet ours yet. Correct?"

"Well yes," Rei said, deep in thought, "But Furea said that she was the last one not to meet her counterpart. Wouldn't that mean that you guys don't have one?"

Usagi just looked confused.

"Actually," Artimis began, as he strolled into the room, "You two _do_ have golden counterparts."

"Where have you been?" Minako accused. He had been nowhere to be found as soon as she recovered.

"Doing some research," he said coolly and hopped onto his mistress' lap then continued, "Back in the time of the Silver Millennium, there was another kingdom, called the Golden Millennium. The Sun used to be part of our kingdom, but it grew very large and started producing more than just one senshi, for whatever reason there was a whole team of them, so it broke away and became a kingdom on its own.

"The Golden Millennium was attacked the same time as the Silver Millennium. It was quickly defeated and its queen put the kingdom into a long dormancy. It seems that it has just now awakened. I have never seen the sun so active. On the sun at that time, there were seventeen senshi, the queen, and her two daughters. Each of the princesses had a group of senshi to defend them.

"The youngest daughter and heir to the titles 'Sailor Sun' and 'Queen Astra' had seven guardians, the Sun Spectrum Senshi. The older daughter had ten guardians, the Sun Color Senshi. All of the senshi here are Spectrum Senshi with the exception of Pink Sun, who is a color senshi. The Spectrum Senshi, in general, are the only ones with counterparts. Sailor Teal Sun and the royalty are the exceptions to that rule.

"Being your counterparts, they have the same paranormal powers and regular skills that you have. They can also copy your attack, as you can copy theirs after seeing it done," Artimis paused for a second and appeared to be finished, but wasn't yet, "One more thing, their orange cat, Apollo, is my twin brother."

Minako completely forgot everything he had said before, "Your brother!?"

"Yes, the picture of him suddenly jarred a memory from long ago," the white cat explained.

"Hmm," Rei pondered, "What really makes these girls dangerous is that they know so much about us in our past lives, and we know so little. They _remember_ us from the Silver Millennium. From what Furea said, I don't think they've died since then."

"Artimis," Usagi asked, very puzzled, "Weren't they at peace with us then? Why are they so hostile with us now?"

"That's one thing I couldn't figure out," Artimis sighed.

"It has to have something to do with the Negaverse!" Makoto exclaimed, "The black fuku and dark moons they wear say it all!"

"That's probably right—"Ami started but stopped short when Rei stood straight up with a distant look in here eyes, "Rei-chan?"

"The fire!" she whispered desperately and tore out of the room and down the hall.

The other eight girls got up and followed as quickly as they could. The door to the fire reading room was wide open and Rei stood just inside it.

The fire had roared up almost to the ceiling and there were two figures to be seen inside of it.

One, standing respectfully behind the other, looked like she was meditating deeply. As the image firmed up, it became obvious that it was Sailor Red Sun.

Sitting on a large chair in front of the red senshi was a rather sickly looking young girl. She wore senshi fuku of a dark rainbow of colors, primarily dark yellow. Her skin was deathly pale and her blue eyes were lifeless. Her light blond hair was done into two pointed buns and pigtails that looped back up them, crowned with a dark yellow bow in her hair. This was the girl the inner senshi had rescued earlier that week.

The girl cleared her throat and shifted in her huge chair. Amazingly, they could hear as well as see her.

"Senshi of the Silver Moon," she said in a high, weak voice, "I am Princess Aiji, or Sailor Sunlight, heir to the Golden Millennium. It is good to see that you all are there. This way I can reach all of you at once.

"It has been brought to my attention that," she continued with a rather pained look on her face, "There have been several unprovoked attack on your part to my soldiers. A preposition was made and a vote was taken. The results were almost unanimous. I now declare in the times of a Sailor War!"

A smirk crossed Red Sun's face and her eyes opened slowly to stare straight into Rei's. "I told you that you would pay," she growled softly and the fire image disappeared. Unlike the first time that day, the fire _did not_ die down. It only roared higher.

"Water!" Rei screamed, "Get water!" She sprinted from the room to find that two of her friends had already taken care of that.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Neptune Deep Submerge!"

The two watery attacks extinguished the fire immediately with a hiss and a cloud of steam.

No one said anything for a long while.

"So," Uranus commented dryly, "Sailor War."


	9. Episode 9

The Battle Takes to the Streets. Sailor War!

"_This just in! The Sailor Soldiers that have always protected us are now battling among themselves all over Tokyo while monsters lurk about. Be aware and stay out of their way. The battles are fierce and you could easily become injured. We do not yet know what has caused this pandemonium..."_

Setsuna switched off the radio. _So they were fighting now_. She silently prayed that no one would get hurt. All day she had to work at the school while the others fought. School was out now so she could assist them. She locked the door from the inside of the nurses' office and put the keys in her purse then flicked a wand into her hand. "Pluto Crystal Power, Makeup!" A few moments later, she had jumped out the window and was sprinting across the lawn in search of the nearest Sun Senshi.

"Indigo Invisible Beams Beat Down!"

Saturn shrieked when the attack hit her by surprise. She whirled around with a murderous look on her face and brandishing her glaive defiantly. "You!" she whispered angrily then raised her weapon, "Silence Glaive Surprise!"

Sailor Indigo Sun yelped and was unable to dodge the powerful attack. Her only reaction was to retaliate again, "Indigo Invisible Beams—!"

"Not so fast!" a voice rang from across the street, "Neptune Deep Submerge!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!" yet another senshi stood beside the first.

Quickly, Sailor Mars and Sailor Neptune moved into position to corner the unfortunate girl that has just been blasted to the ground by their attacks.

Sailor Indigo Sun, suddenly realizing that she was trapped, curled up in a small ball on the sidewalk. She knew that there was no hope now and just waited for the Moon senshi to finish her off.

"Stop it!" a light, high voice shrieked.

"Don't even try!" a second, slightly deeper voice chimed in.

The three silver senshi spun defensively to look down the empty street. Two sun senshi, Violet and Green Sun were heading for the group at a dead sprint, their shoes clacking eerily on the pavement. Sailor Violet Sun defiantly locked eyes with Saturn with a smirk across her face. Sailor Saturn glared back. Indigo, using the other senshi's distraction, pulled out of her helpless position and got nimbly to her feet, ignoring her pain.

The two arriving sun senshi skidded to a halt less than ten feet from the others. The violet-haired senshi glanced quickly at Green Sun then connected gazes with her cornered friend while Mars, Neptune, and Saturn continued to stand in a battle ready stance. Violet's two colleagues nodded.

The golden senshi simultaneously raised both high with palms to the sun above. "Solar Miracle Power!" they screamed in unison as the sparkling light from the sun descended from the sky and gathered in spheres of pure white light hovering above their hands. Meanwhile, each of the girls began to glow her respective color: violet, green, and indigo.

Saturn realized what was happening long before her companions did. With a quick gesture, she and the other two had scurried a short distance away from the Sun Senshi and began to prepare an attack of their own. "Sailor Planet Power!" the Silver Senshi yelled as the other three continued to gather light. Their tiaras began to glow and soon they were also surrounded by their respective colors: violet, teal, and red.

The colors lingered for a moment, then rocketed at each other, colliding in a loud and bright explosion. Power ricocheted in all directions.

"Cover!" Violet yelled and dove behind an overturned trash bin, Indigo following.

"Silence Wall!" Saturn's high voice pierced through the air not a moment later and the three silver senshi were shrouded in her protective power.

Only another moment later, the green senshi shrieked in pain.

The hum of power and bright light kept any of the senshi from seeing one another for a while. Once their eyes we able to see again, the first sight that they turned upon was the unconscious and battered body of Sailor Green Sun.

"You!" Indigo accused angrily and stood up to stalk over towards the moon senshi, Violet tried in vain to stop her.

Sailor Mars did not need to be reminded to take the chance given to her. "Mars Flame Sniper!"

Violet saw it coming and leaped to push her comrade out of the way just in time as the flaming red arrow passed over them. "We're on the down side here," the violet-haired girl muttered to her friend, "Let's retreat and regroup then hit them harder."

Both sun senshi stood up defiantly and Mars, Saturn, and Neptune watched them expectantly.

"Sailor Teleport!" with one combined shriek and a blast of purple light, the two senshi were gone, forgetting their fallen friend behind.

After a haunting silence on the Tokyo street, Sailor Neptune commented, "I would think that they would take Green Sun with them. She's their friend after all."

"Well, we should take her somewhere safe for now," the small, yet dangerous senshi advised as she idly switched her glaive from one hand to the other.

"We can put her in the temple for a while," Sailor Mars suggested, "We could always lock her up with some runes I know."

"Good," Neptune nodded, "Now how do we get her there. I mean, we can't _carry_ her."

Sailor Mars rolled her eyes and hefted the girl into her arms then over her shoulder. "We can try," she said defiantly, "Let's go!"

"Hold it right there!" A deep, fierce voice commanded. It was enough to stop Sailor Pluto dead in her tracks and send shivers down her spine. Without ever meeting the girl before, Pluto _knew_ it must be Sailor Blue Sun.

The Soldier of Time spun casually to meet her challenger as if she were unbothered, spinning her time staff in a showy manner. Unfortunately, she couldn't hid her surprise when she saw not one, but two senshi leering at her: Sailor Blue Sun _and _Sailor Red Sun.

"Oh, we won't hurt you that bad Pluto-chan," the red senshi sneered, "We just want to teach you Silver Senshi a lesson, that's all."

"Up for a fight, or too scared Pluto-chan?" Blue Sun taunted, once again sending shivers down Sailor Pluto's spine.

"Don't think I would ever back down when my princess is at stake, no," Sailor Pluto answered sternly and crossed the grass of the schoolyard, faking bravery. _If Ami-chan couldn't hold off just Blue Sun on her own and Rei had a hard time with Red Sun, I don't know how I'll be able to stand up to this pair. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were a team. That makes them all the more deadly_.

"Dead Scream," she whispered, but her voice echoed ominously through the air.

The sun senshi easily dodged the indigo sphere and retaliated before they landed on the ground again.

"Solar Flames Incinerate!"

"Solar Heat Wave!"

Pluto, in turn, dodged their two attacks.

"You don't think you can stand against Blue Sun and Red Sun, do you?" a third voice sneered, and a delicate senshi with luxuriously wavy orange hair stepped out of the shadows of a nearby tree, "Or even think you could come out of a battle with the three of us victorious. I think not."

"You don't understand what it means to be with Sailor Moon," Sailor Pluto said firmly, showing no fear or regret, "I would do anything to protect her. She is— I will not give up even if the odds seem helpless!"

"You're that faithful?" Sailor Blue Sun raised and eyebrow and shifted to a more casual posture. "It is my duty to protect my princess, and that is something I will hold to until the end of my life. No matter how soon it will end."

Sailor Pluto smiled slightly and nodded, also relaxing.

"I hope you don't mind dying for you princess, because that's what I'm here to make sure you do!" she yelled spitefully, "Don't try to sway us from our mission with soft words! Blue Solar Flames Incinerate!"

The powerful attack of blue fire raced towards the guardian of time and caught her completely off guard. In attempt to dodge it, she stumbled and was hit full force. Pluto lay moaning on the grass, debating whether it was worth it to face the pain and rise to her feet to try to fight.

Sailor Orange Sun strolled over to Sailor Pluto at a mock-casual pace. "You're not going to give up just yet are you? I expected more from someone preaching such loyalty just a moment ago," the thin girl said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

The thought of abandoning Usagi hit Sailor Pluto like a hammer. She shook her head slowly and whispered to herself, "_Makenai!_" With all the strength that she could muster, she pushed herself off the grass and glared hard at Orange Sun, then attacked, "Chronos Cyclone!"

Given no warning, the orange senshi did not have any time to dodge. With all of Sailor Pluto's anger and determination poured into the powerful attack, it was stronger than ever. Kanami shrieked, gasped, and staggered backwards in pain. "You'll pay for that!" she wheezed, "Orange Solar Flare!"

Battered and exhausted, Sailor Pluto was unable to dodge this attack as well. She let out a quiet moan and shrunk the ground, almost disabled with pain. She heard a three pairs of footsteps approaching and some triumphant chuckling.

"Not as strong as you thought," the younger voice of Sailor Red Sun laughed, "You didn't stand a chance. Anyone could have seen that." She laughed again.

"_Puruto!_" a high, distraught voice shrieked, "I can't forgive you three for hurting Setsuna-san! I am Sailor Moon and I will punish you!"

Sailor Pluto squeezed her eyes shut in emotional pain. _No Usagi, you'll be hurt. You can't do this alone._ Pluto could hear more footsteps, meaning more senshi. Good or bad, she couldn't tell.

Sailor Blue Sun snickered, "So this is the Sailor Moon that has been evoking such loyalty. Enough loyal to die for. This one certainly wasn't afraid to die."

Pluto attempted to move, but was too stiff with pain. She could senshi Eternal Sailor Moon's anger and despair growing.

"She's not dead," Sailor Moon said angrily, "You liar! I still will not forgive you! Starlight Honeymoon—!"

"Red Solar Heat Wave!"

"Blue Solar Flames Incinerate!"

Sailor Moon's attack was cut short as she stared at her attackers in horror. She froze and dropped her scepter as her three companions, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Jupiter raced over to try and get her away from the attacks.

"No!"

"Sailor Moon!"

"Get out of the way!"

Sailor Pluto was filled with a sudden burst of energy. She came to her feet and spread her arms wide with her time key looming impressively over her head and gleaming in the sunlight.

The attacks hit Sailor Pluto hard in the chest, completely shielding Sailor Moon. The time guardian crumpled and fell to the ground like a wilted flower.

"Pluto!" Eternal Sailor Moon shrieked, tears welling up in her eyes. Sailor Mercury froze in her tracks and gasped while Venus and Jupiter moved grimly in front of their leader to protect her from more attacks.

"You have done yourself bad as well as us," Sailor Mercury scolded, holding back tears as best as she could, "Sailor Pluto was the guardian of time, serving everyone selflessly. She would have let you through time if you had asked. That loneliness she had is something you could never have known. And now..." the ice senshi's voice trailed away into a painful fight to keep from crying.

Jupiter looked up from where she knelt next to their fallen companion. "She's dead," she said in agonizingly emotionless voice. Right on cue, ribbons of loosed around Sailor Pluto, starting at her broach, and Pluto was almost instantly back to being Meioh Setsuna, looking paler than ever. The thunder senshi corrected herself gravely, "Or at least close enough to it that it doesn't matter."

Sailor Moon broke into tears and collapsed to the ground while the three golden senshi just smirked in amusement.

"At least our princess, young as she is, can take more than this worthless flake," the red senshi muttered so quietly no one but Sailor Blue Sun heard her. The older girl's smirk broadened.

Sailor Venus clenched her fists and glared at her adversaries standing on the grass not too far away. Her glare still fixed and unwavering on the Golden Sun Senshi trio, she spoke with defiant leadership, "Sailor Jupiter, you're the strongest of us. Take Setsuna-san to the shrine and contact Saturn. She should possibly be able to help you. We'll fight these three. Send help if you can."

The tall brunette only nodded and stooped slightly from where she crouched on the grass to gather up the limp Setsuna and pushed herself up off the grass. She turned and strode away at almost a deliberate pace, but not before giving the sun senshi a blank and defiant glance. No one moved or spoke for a long time.

Sailor Orange Sun, Sailor Blue Sun, and Sailor Red Sun stood in a tight knot together less than ten feet from Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury still sulked a ways off from her friends. The six senshi facing each other on the vibrantly green grass, in the middle of a lightly wooded park, and underneath an equally vibrant blue and cloudless sky was a rare and beautiful scene, but none of the senshi were in a mood to appreciate the splendor of it.

"Venus-chan," the glamorous orange-clad senshi broke the silence with her characterizing mock-friendly tone and glided nearer to her silver counterpart, "I didn't think you were capable of such authority, after our last battle."

"You should remember," the smaller blond answered challengingly, not moving at all from where she stood, "you were alive when I was the leader of Princess Serenity's guardians. Don't try any of your tricks on me Kanami!"

"Don't think I would!" Sailor Orange Sun spat, angry and frustrated, "Let's fight!"

Sailor Moon rose from the ground, instantly stopping her flood of tears and Mercury pulled out of her horrified trance. The two other sun senshi pulled into formation next to Orange Sun and the battle began.

Haruka didn't know what to do. The things that the Sun Senshi had done to her friends were inexcusable, but a wisp of doubt stung in the back of her mind. She paced the carped floor of the living room in the house that she shared with the other three outer senshi in deep thought.

Kigai was not evil and would never do some of things that the other Sol Senshi claimed that all of the Sun Senshi wanted to do. They could not be all evil. She even saw a shadow of goodness in Sailor Blue Sun and Sailor Red Sun. The princess, Sailor Sunlight, seemed unwilling to put forth the decree for Sailor War. Try as hard as she might, Haruka could not remember anything from the past about negative relations with the sun senshi, much less could she remember _anything_ about the sun kingdom.

If only she knew where to find the little yellow senshi...

There was a gentle knock at the front door and Haruka stopped dead in her tracks. She apprehensively walked though the house and to the door. She unlocked it and slowly swung the large wooden door open. On the front steps stood a small blond girl with cruches.


	10. Episode 10

Change into the Light. Make the Hearts of the Soldiers One!

"Kigai!" Haruka stammered in shock, motioning for the tiny girl to come inside.

Kigai made no movements at all. She just said gravely, "You can't let this go on. I can't let this go on. One of the people you treasure most has been fatally injured as has one of mine."

The taller woman's mouth hung open and she remained in dumbfounded silence.

"Together, you and I could stop this," Kigai's high voice cracked slightly, as if she was holding back sadness, "I know we can."

Haruka nodded, "Yes Kigai, I won't let you down."

A cute little smile spread across Kigai's face. She pulled down the broach off of her hair bow and held it above her head. "Yellow Sun Spectrum Power, Makeup!"

Haruka produced her own transformation pen, "Uranus Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Sailor Mercury commanded and entwining tendrils of water shot at the three enemy senshi. All three of the dark-suited girls easily danced out of the way. The fight had been going on for a very long time so far with no results.

Sailor Blue Sun laughed. "You actually think you can beat us with your puny attacks?" she said with an amused voice, "We've been alive far longer than you and our attacks are much stronger."

"Is that so?" Venus asked slyly.

"Of course," Sailor Orange Sun replied, "That's why you're loosing so terribly to us. And that is why we _will_ win."

"Really?" Venus laughed, "Venus Solar Flare!" Hot golden light gathered in her hands and she flung it at the three evil senshi.

Blue Sun and Red Sun dodged out of the way, but Sailor Orange Sun was too stunned to move. The attack hit her full force and she was blasted back with a loud shriek, skidding to a stop on the grass, with green stains on her skirt. The thin girl moaned then lay still and silent where she was.

Sailor Red Sun quickly hurried over to her fallen comrade and took her pulse, then nodded to Sailor Blue Sun, who relaxed. "That's a powerful attack," the tall blue-haired senshi said calmly, "Kanmi may not have been very strong in defense, but she really had an intense attack force."

Red Sun stood and walked over to stand confidently next to her partner again. She smirked, "Now you have us outnumbered. I still doubt, though, that you have us overpowered."

Sailor Mercury quickly analyzed the situation in her normal calculating way. _Orange Sun will be down for a while. Maybe Venus can do some more damage with Kanmi's attack. Bengosha was hurt last time by Aqua Rhapsody. Or wait..._ She turned and spoke quietly and quickly to Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon, "Venus, you and I will distract them then Sailor Moon can use her attack when they're not ready for it."

Venus nodded and she and Mercury launched forward.

"Venus Solar Flare!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Sailor Blue Sun and Sailor Red Sun were forced to dodge out of the way. Blue Sun leaped to the side and out of the way of the golden light while Red Sun dove out of the way of the water. She tucked into a ball and rolled, coming out of it and to her feet right in front of Sailor Venus.

The blond senshi grinned. "Venus Love Me Chain!" she yelled and the golden chain wrapped itself around Red Sun's waist, binding her arms to her side.

Before the girl had a chance to wriggle free, Sailor Moon raised her wand and began her attack, "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

White light surrounded Sailor Red Sun and Venus' golden chain immediately disintegrated. The dark crescent moons disappeared from her broaches and golden stars appeared. Her fuku flashed white for a moment then her transformation faded away in a storm of red ribbons of energy. All the while she was screaming in absolute agony. Blue Sun stood rooted to her spot with a look of terror and horror on her face. Finally, with one last moan, the red-haired girl collapsed to the ground, back in her blue and red Juuban Jr. High uniform, her eyes gently closed.

"FUREA!" Sailor Blue Sun shrieked, running three steps to where her younger friend laid, her voice skipping up an octave with her absolute despair. There was dead silence for a moment while Bengosha knelt by her best friend. Then she turned her tear-streaked face towards the three Silver Senshi and growled, "_You will pay for that._" The dangerous tone in her voice sent chills down the other girls' spines and all stood paralyzed in the glare of her deep blue eyes.

Just then, a quiet voice asked tentatively, "What happened here?"

Bengosha didn't move a muscle, but Sailor Moon, Mercury, and Venus's attention was on a pair of curious newcomers: Sailor Violet Sun and Sailor Indigo Sun.

"Kanmi was taken down by her own attack, but from another source while Furea was _destroyed_ by these three," Bengosha explained in an extremely cold voice with a hit of deadly anger in it.

"None of this shall be allowed," Sailor Violet Sun said coolly as she took one of Orange Sun's hands. The fallen girl glowed a violet color briefly then moaned and slowly got up, the violet senshi assisting her slightly.

The three new senshi moved up to stand near to Sailor Blue Sun, Indigo still trying to stand a ways off.

Blue Sun stood up slowly, her speed almost agonizingly slow and taunting to the Silver Senshi. "Now you're outnumbered. You don't stand a single chance at all," she said dangerously.

None of the senshi moved.

"Not any more!" Sailor Mars called as she and three more senshi crossed the grass at a dead run: Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Saturn.

"Now we're outnumbering you!" Sailor Jupiter said triumphantly as she joined the line with her other friends.

"You still can't win," Orange Sun laughed, "We're much more powerful."

"Besides," Indigo Sun added, "Our princess is coming."

Quiet gasps ran along the lines of senshi. As if on cue, a thin and sickly girl wearing a fuku of a dark rainbow of colors and blond hair done in pointy odangos and loop pigtails accompanied by a pink-clad senshi emerged from a group of trees near by. Sailor Pink Sun had dark pink hair done in a pair of round odangos and all of the other senshi could tell that she was very powerful, without even thinking about it. Both girls walked deliberately slow and majestically. All movement or thought of moving stopped among the twelve senshi who were previously ready for battle.

Setsuna rolled over on her side and moaned. She vaguely remembered Sailor Saturn saying something about only sparing enough power to put her on the mend and she would sleep off her pain. Even so, she was so close to death that she would not be fit to fight until after a _very long_ rest. Finally able to take in her surroundings, she saw that she was in one of the rooms of the Shinto Shrine that Rei called home, laying on a cot. Near by, apparently unceremoniously dumped on the floor, was a crumpled heap resembling Sailor Green Sun. Next to the girl was a small charm that Rei often used to contain evil things.

_She doesn't look so well,_ she thought and tried to get, but failed miserably and was forced to lay back down on the cot and contemplate what she was to do with herself.

"Oh Kumori!" Sailor White Sun whispered in the silence, "It's beautiful!"

Black Sun squeezed the taller girl's hand and murmured back as they, as well as the other senshi, stared down at the approaching planet, "I know. It's so blue, nothing like the Golden Millennium." She gestured with her head towards the silvery moon, not daring to let go of either of her hands and break the teleportation shield that the senshi had around themselves. "It's a pity that the beautiful Moon Kingdom was destroyed. That was much more beautiful than the kingdom of Elysion."

"Elysion was destroyed too, you know," Silver Sun said sharply from across the circle.

"Of course she knows," Bronze commented lazily, "How couldn't she?"

"It didn't sound like it!" Sailor Silver Sun retorted.

"Stop before you get started!" Sailor Gold Sun commanded, "I want to admire the view before we arrive." The other two metallic senshi silenced and relaxed.

"Hanryo?" Sailor Brown Sun asked.

"Huh?" Gray Sun responded softly.

"I'm a little worried about our descent," Brown Sun started nervously and explained, "I mean, where are we going to land? We'll be falling pretty fast, right?"

"That's up to Enogu-hime," Sailor Gray Sun said earnestly.

"Akari," Sailor Spectrum called, as she was holding on to the brown-haired girl's other hand, "Don't worry about it. We should land on a safe place in Tokyo, Japan, for that is where our comrades are, and our descent should slow such that we land softly and safely."

Sailor Brown Sun grinned, "Thank you." Then she turned her attention back to the impressive sight of the Earth and its moon among the stars and the circle fell into silence again.


	11. Episode 11

The Battle Reaches a Climax! No Turning Back Now.

"There isn't much time," the small girl said urgently and she refused to be ushered inside by Haruka, "We have to get to where the others are or someone is bound to get very hurt. I fear we are already too late."

Kigai's determination stunned Haruka, but she was not quite sure she could trust the girl. "First, what the _heck_ is going on here? Second, how do you know so much? And third, how can I know that you're not just like all the rest of your friends and are trying to lead me into a trap?" As she spoke, Haruka worked herself slowly angrier.

Kigai lowered her eyes and answered quietly, "You'll just have to trust me."

Realizing that she had gotten angrier than she had intended, Haruka relaxed. There was no way a little child like this could be lying to her. "Okay," she responded plainly, "Where do we have to go?"

"Somewhere closer in the city; I would guess in the Juuban district," she suggested, "We'll _know_ when we get close."

Haruka nodded, "Let's take the car." With that, she retreated into the kitchen and retrieved her keys then stepped out onto the front steps with Kigai, locking the door behind her. On the driveway was parked her beautiful red convertible. Haruka opened the passenger side door for Kigai, who was following slowly behind her, hobbling along on her crutches, then crossed in front of the car and got in on her own side. The tall blond jammed the keys into the ignition but waited for Kigai to get in and settled. "You'd better buckle up and hold on!" she warned. Without waiting for a response, Haruka turned the key and the engine roared to life. She put the car into reverse and backed down the driveway then tore off down the road, the wind whipping blissfully through Haruka's hair.

After a few minutes of speeding across the highway, Kigai spoke, "I suppose you would like an explanation of everything."

Haruka took one eye off the road to glance evenly at Kigai and nodded.

Kigai sighed and brushed her shot cropped bangs out of her eyes then began, "We weren't always tainted like this, you know. We used to be peaceful senshi just like you. We even used to be strong allies with you, but Astra broke away in the early part of her reign, before I was born. Queen Astra was beautiful and benevolent, yet she has always had something against you Silver Senshi.

"There are, or, I guess, were nineteen sun senshi when I left the Golden Millennium, the Sun Kingdom. The Spectrum Senshi, that would be everyone except Pink Sun and Princess Sunlight— ChibiSun, are the ones that are here. Our single job is to protect Aiji, heir of the Golden Millennium. Tsute, Pink Sun, belongs to the Sun Color Senshi that guarded Princess Enogu. They are kind of like you Outer Silver Senshi and we are kind of like the Inners, in a way. They do most of the battling and defending of our realm, being much stronger. We were often used as distractions and decoys, as we were usually faster and a very close team. But I guess that's what got us into all this trouble in the first place."

Haruka raised an eyebrow as the whizzed along, but said nothing.

"Then the tiny girl began the most difficult part of her story to tell, "When the Negaverse Generals with their terrible queen and her seven shadows attacked us we were sadly unprepared. Just over a week into the battle, we found ourselves having to take a last desperation stand. The Colors, Enogu, and Astra stayed at the palace defending it and trying to push the enemies back. Meanwhile, the Spectrums tried to take a risky decoy mission around the back to distract and possibly destroy a large part of Metallia's forces. To give extra protection to Aiji, Astra sent her niece Sailor Pink Sun to guard her and give us more power.

"Somehow Queen Beryl found out about our plan, and she herself and two of her four generals were there to meet us themselves. That day was the day I died. One could say, in a sense, that I was born again just over a week ago. I'm sure you don't know what it's like to fail your princess, the one who depends on your for your loyalty, but you fail. Worse yet, Queen Beryl did not kill us. She had us tortured and experimented on. It was as if she wanted to make us her servants and help her conquer. Or perhaps she wanted to join us with her seven shadows, there were seven spectrum senshi after all. She worked hard to break the princess... she almost killed her and Aiji will never be the same for it," Kigai's voice cracked and she sounded like she was about to break into sobs, "The others, they were so angry that it was easy for Beryl to feed off their anger and turn them to her side. She branded us all with the symbol of an evil crescent moon, the one she planned to use when she took over the moon. I refused to let myself become angry. I refused to let myself be tricked onto their side... so they tortured me— even more than they did with Sunlight." She took a short pause to recuperate from her obvious pain of the past. The tiny girl swallowed hard, "They said I was too resilient, too good. So they tortured me and did all they could to me. I almost broke when they took my ability to use my legs from me. I was about to give in... then they suddenly stopped coming: no more seven shadows, no more generals, no more Beryl. We could still feel Metallia's presence around us, and we were locked in the Dark Kingdom for what seemed to be forever.

"I could not get myself from where I was locked and Bengosha found me where I was, locked down near death. She and Furea got me out of there. They found something for me to bind my legs with and some sticks to use as crutches, and so we spent our entire time in search of Aiji, but she was no where to be found that we could go. In our hearts we knew she still lived, but our minds told us that she was long dead and there was no hope for her.

"So we waited for rescue that never came, never growing older in that timeless place. As far as I know, the beautiful Queen and the rest of the soldiers are dead. Poor Tsute has never been herself since she came to that realization. She was terribly devoted to Enogu and Astra. But then again, none of us are the same, not even me.

"Then we felt stirrings in the Negaverse again, and we retreated into hiding, hoping to be forgotten and we were, but it was difficult to stay undiscovered in our large group so we split up alone in hiding. It was almost suffocating to live with so much evil around us. I fear that it is in my blood now and it's only a matter of time before it takes me and taints me like the others. They took it very quickly though.

"I lived in fear then. More fear than you can imagine. I did not want to be returned to torture and I also feared for my companions that they would be found and give us all away. But then I felt the strangest thing just before Metallia was about to break free. There was such a purity that I can't describe, and it broke through the Dark Kingdom right to the very seams.

"Usagi," Haruka murmered softly as she made the connection.

Kigai apparently didn't notice, being too involved in her story, and continued on without a pause, "I thought I would die then. The dark part of me fighting with the light. From then, I must have fallen into a deep sleep of some sort. The next thing I knew, I was floating in a small bubble of light down towards a beautiful blue and green planet. I sleepily watched it come then found myself on its surface in a completely new world that was vaguely like what I knew before. As soon as I could make sense of things, I _knew_ that there were Negaverse _youma_ all over the city and that Princess Aiji was still alive and somewhere in this city, as well as Apollo, Solara, and Helia, whom I had taken for dead long ago. And soon after, I ran into you. As you can see, my friends have been destroyed as they were before and have submitted to the darkness and have held the sole goal of protecting Sunlight and each other, with everything else to distrust and hate. That is what we have come to," Kigai concluded, looking weary from retelling her tale.

"But how is it that they all gave in and you are still yourself," Haruka asked, puzzled, as they entered the main Tokyo area.

"As I said," Kigai answered quietly, "I am not myself. I died a millennia ago. I cannot go back to that. As to the others: Bengosha, Kanmi, Furea, and Jika had short tempers, were vain, angry, or overly stern. It was simple for the Dark Kingdom to draw those qualities out and make them evil. Tsute was already living in self-hate from her failure, so she fell easily. Itazura and Chou were cheerful and mild people, but not strong enough to last through the fear of their torturing. The Dark Kingdom took that fear and weakness and magnified it until they were molded properly. I don't know what they did to Aiji, she is so filled with trauma, that she rarely speaks any more."

Haruka nodded. "You are a brave soul Kigai, and an amazing one at that," she commended, "Now for my side of the story: I was also alive in the Silver Millennium, but I was on Uranus when it happened. We Outers did all we could, but it was not enough to save our world. Our princess killed herself and our queen saw no other option but to use the power of the Ginzuishou to decimate the Dark Army, seal up the seven shadows, and send us all off to a better life in the future, so I was reborn seventeen years ago. Before I found my princess, she had already found the four Inner Senshi and together they defeated the revived Queen Beryl and all of her soldiers. It was she that freed you with the pure power of her Ginzuishou and the love and companionship of her friends. It was that blast of purity that freed you. Since then they fought many enemies, and we helped them to defeat some as well, but as the Outer Senshi, we have other things to watch after."

"So it _was_ Sailor Moon that saved us!" Kigai exclaimed, "I thought I recognized that light when we first met."

Haruka nodded. Suddenly, she felt the distinct power of the Senshi all battling.

Kigai tensed up as well. Haruka knew that she had also felt it. "Oh no," she moaned, "We have to hurry, Bengosha is ready to murder."

Haruka smiled grimly and pressed the gas pedal further to the floor, dodging traffic as fast as she could.

"Well senshi," Sailor Pink Sun began coldly, "We meet at last in battle. In Sailor War, as you asked for, if indirectly. We understand the time has come; the sailor soldiers have a battle. As Kanmi said, you don't stand a chance now, if you ever did."

Sailor Jupiter bristled with anger, at being insulted as a weakling, she was about to attack, when the pale girl finally spoke. Her voice was enough to stop even Makoto.

"Be prepared Silver Moon Senshi," she started, her voice quiet and weak, the death-like quality of it was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine, "You do not know what you are against, and we do."

There was a long silence, when Mars finally gave in, "Enough with the speeches! Mars Flame Sniper!"

Her red arrow shot straight for Pink Sun who easily dodged out of the way and quickly retaliated. "Pink Dying Star!" A devastating pink attack shot for Mars and Saturn, who was standing next to her, both went down with moans of pain. "First mistake," she said precisely, "Never try to attack someone who's better than you without a ration plan."

Sailor Blue Sun laughed cruelly.

Mars was seething and struggled back to her feet while Saturn planted the butt of her glaive in the ground and pulled herself to her feet with its aid.

"How's this for a plan?" Mars shrieked, "Everyone attack now! Mars Flame Sniper!"

Jupiter gladly joined the fray, and soon everyone did as well, "Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Pink Dying Star!"

"Orange Solar Flare!"

"Venus Solar Flare!"

"Blue Solar Flames Incinerate!"

"Violet Ultra Rays!"

"Deep Submerge!"

"Silence Glaive Surprise!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Shining Light!"

Sailor Indigo Sun was too confused to attack and dove to the ground, covering her head, but somehow landing in the middle of the fight.

Attacks met attacks and bright explosions of power knocked over senshi and a few attacks managed to make it through, striking down single senshi at a time.

Just before the confusion cleared, Sailor Moon raised her tier and shouted, "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" The pure white light shot through the crowd and met it's mark.

Indigo Sun screamed in terror and pain as the light enveloped her. She uncurled herself from her protective ball on the ground. The dark moons disappeared from her broaches and her transformation faded into indigo ribbons, leaving a battered Itazura in her Juuban uniform lying on the ground.

"That's it!" Blue Sun screamed, "I've had enough of this! There's no way all of you could possibly be beating all of us!" She stood angrily surrounded by two fallen comrades that were not going to rise for some time again, as well as Orange Sun and Violet Sun who had fallen victim to the flurry attacks. On the other side, only Sailor Moon, Mercury, and Saturn remained standing while Mars was looking very injured. This time she was just barely able to stand again.

Bengosha lent a hand to Orange Sun then to Violet Sun and the two rose while Pink Sun carefully moved Itazura out of the way. The Silver Senshi waited nervously all the while.

Violet Sun laughed, "It puzzles me, you senshi. You give us time to recuperate while you could decimate us. It's a wonder you've been able to defend this planet as long as you have."

"Take that back!" Jupiter yelled, "Take that back!"

"Never!" Violet Sun retorted forcefully then attacked, "Violet Ultra Rays!"

Jupiter was faster this time and was able to dodge out of the way, but Neptune was unfortunate enough to be standing behind her. The poor girl was blasted to the ground with a short screech of pain. She lay their moaning, the attack was stronger than she could bear.

"Michiru-mama!" Saturn cried in dismay, "Now you'll pay! Silence Glaive Surprise!"

Violet, not expecting the sudden retaliation from Saturn, was hit full force by the destructive attack. She shrieked in pain as well, and collapsed on the ground, but defiantly pulled herself back up and staggered slowly back up to the line.

"This is getting nowhere," Sailor Mercury murmured quietly to Venus.

The blond senshi nodded, "Same plan?"

Before the pair could attack, Pink Sun and Sailor Sunlight began attacking on their own.

"Pink Dying Star!"

"Shining Light!"

"Silence Wall!"

The attacks were stopped short and rebounded back. Sunlight and Pink Sun dodged out of the way, and the small princess wound up very near to Venus and Mercury as she tumbled instinctively across the grass.

"Shabon Spray!" Mercury yelled, fogging over the area and confusing everyone, not sure of her intentions, but Venus knew.

"Venus Love Me Chain!" Venus followed quickly, the golden chain wrapping around Sunlight's waist. The sun princess yelped when she realized what was happening.

"Princess?" Blue Sun yelled in confusion, still unable to see through the fog.

"Sailor Moon! Do it now!" Mercury called behind her and her princess understood.

Usagi carefully aimed for where she heard Mercury's voice then attacked, "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" Her attack once again met its mark. Both Venus' chain and Mercury's fog faded under the light of her attack, leaving the Princess Aiji in a crumpled heap on the ground in a lovely light yellow and gold dress.

"PRINCESS!" Orange Sun shrieked, being the first to see their leader.

"Sailor Sunlight!" Violet Sun wailed as well, hurrying to her fallen leader as fast as she could.

"No! It can't be true!" Pink Sun sobbed, her composure quickly fading into angry tears.

Only Blue Sun held her ground. "_You'll pay_," she growled.

Orange Sun and Voilet Sun managed to scoop up the princess between the two of them and carry her to the back of the battlefield with Itazura and Furea.

"I will _never_ let you harm any of my comrades again," Blue Sun said in a dangerously low voice, "First you attack happy Chou, then Furea— something I cannot forgive, then sweet Itazura, _then_ our princess. Never again! I can _never_ forgive you!"

Pink Sun ungracefully whipped her eyes and nose on one of her glove hands and sniffed before coming to stand next to Sailor Blue Sun, "I will not have both of those who I owe alliance be destroyed while I could have helped it! I cannot forgive you!"

"Pink Dying Star!"

"Blue Solar Flames Incinerate!"

Both of the attacks aimed straight for Sailor Moon who was so paralyzed with shock she couldn't move. This time, none of the senshi were fast enough to dive in front of her.

Neptune, sill lying battered on the ground planted one well-aimed kick at the nearest of Eternal Sailor Moon's ankles just hard enough to knock her over, which it did. Usagi found her self on the ground with an aching ankle. She whimpered in pain, then realized what had just happened. She held herself silent, stunned.

Neptune grinned weakly. "Sorry to hurt you Usagi," she managed to say through difficult breaths, "But it seemed the only way."

Usagi smiled, "That's okay Neptune!"

"Enough pleasantries," Violet Sun said sharply, "Are we going to fight or not?"

"Why not!" Mars answered, "Mars Solar Heat Wave!"

Blue Sun dodged out of the way of the attack, but was hit hard on one shoulder, she staggered back, clutching it and gritting her teeth trying to resist yelling out in pain. "I will not," she said, still gritting her teeth, "Have you use _Furea's_ attacks on me!"

Orange Sun returned from tending to her princess and yelled, as Blue Sun spoke, "I will never forgive you for what you've done! Orange Solar—!

Blue Sun prepared to attack as well, "Blue Solar Flames—!"

"Stop!" A high voice cried from the other side of the park.

"Hold it right there!" a lower, almost masculine voice commanded.

All of the senshi halted what they were doing to gape at the sight of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Yellow Sun sprinting across the grass, just recently transformed after they vaulted out of Haruka's car. Uranus, a much faster runner, was deliberately slowing her pace to keep even with Kigai.

"Kigai!" Blue Sun scolded, "It's about time! What are you doing with her?"

"She found me," Sailor Uranus answered evenly as she skidded to a stop between to the two lines of senshi, not even panting, in contrast to Yellow Sun.

"She what?" Jupiter asked angrily, "Yellow Sun has done something to Uranus! Leave her alone kid!"

"No I—!" Sailor Yellow Sun protested, but it was already too late.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"You don't understand!" the tiny girl protested as the attack came for her, and she tried to clumsily tried to get out of the way.

Fast as the wind, Haruka put herself between Kigai and the attack, taking it herself straight in the chest. She despite her efforts to keep the yell in, she let out a short yell of pain and collapsed to the ground, her stormy gray eyes only just barely open. She moaned quietly but was unable to move.

"Uranus!" Both Neptune and Yellow Sun shrieked at the same time.

Neptune managed to crawl over to Haruka and grasp one of her hands reassuringly while Yellow Sun stood defiantly over the pair. "Now look what you've done!" she accused, "All of you! Stop fighting! We have to or none of us will be left. The longer we fight, the more people that get hurt! Don't you see it?"

Not one of the senshi there dared to answer her.


	12. Episode 12

A New Purity Arises. Be New in the Light!

"If we destroy each other, which is inevitable at this point, who will defend this system we so treasure?" Sailor Yellow Sun asked. It was rhetorical question. For that reason, once again, no one spoke. "We don't have to be enemies! Just open your hearts!"

As long as Kigai stood in the center of the battlefield with the fallen Neptune and Uranus, both sides were afraid to attack. It was a sorry site, the remaining group of senshi. Only the inners and Sailor Saturn remained standing for the Silver Senshi and just four of the Golden Senshi: Sailor Orange Sun, Sailor Blue Sun, Sailor Pink Sun, Sailor Violet Sun, and Sailor Yellow Sun. No one dared to attack. No one dared to speak. No one dared to move. So all of the senshi just stood there, staring at the ground, at Yellow Sun, or at each other.

An ominous wind blew through them whipping their hair skirts around them, not one of them seeming to care. The rapidly moving cloud wisps moved over the sun and then past, putting great shadows then beams of sunlight over them, like their own emotions.

A long time of being wrapped in crisp wind passed when someone finally moved. Back behind the Solar Senshi line, a small being that appeared to be a mass of light yellow fabric stirred and moaned. Bengosha and Tsute spun around instantly, while Orange Sun glanced over her shoulder, then returned to leering at the moon senshi untrustingly.

Sailor Violet Sun turned around, gasped, and fell to her knees, in shock and joy.

"Princess!" Pink Sun exclaimed, hurrying over to her.

Blue Sun, who held her ground, still staring in awe at Aiji, asked, "Are you alright? You're alive!"

Princess Aiji moaned again, then pushed herself up to a sitting position, gently rubbing one eye sleepily. "Yes, I'm alive," she answered quietly, her voice sounding strangely livelier and her eyes a brighter blue.

Pink Sun gasped, "Something's changed!"

Many of the Silver Senshi saw it too.

"Aiji!" Yellow Sun exclaimed and sprinted over to her, leaving Uranus and Neptune. She plopped herself on the ground right next to her princess and gave her an enveloping hug. "You're better! You've recovered! Just look at you!" she exclaimed happily.

Aiji giggled, "So I have." She tried to stand, rather weakly, and failed. Tsute extended a hand and pulled her up, Yellow Sun following. The princess looked around at the decimated sight. Uranus, Neptune, Red Sun, and Indigo Sun all lay on the ground, clearly knocked out while everyone else was badly battered. She shook her head sadly, then walked slowly towards the center of the battlefield, then continued on towards Sailor Moon. Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus instinctively put themselves in between their leader and the princess of the Sun.

"Don't worry," Aiji said sweetly, "I mean no harm."

Venus and Mercury relaxed and backed off.

"Sailor Moon," she began, "You did more than deplete our forces with that Ginzuishou of yours. You returned me to who I used to be, before that great loss. I can only assume you did the same for my fallen comrades. I thank you, and ask that you extend the favor to the others, as their hearts are hurt more deeply than even they know."

Sailor Moon nodded and smiled, "I take this as an end to the fight. I would gladly help you all. That way you'll not have that evil over you ever again and we can be friends." She giggled then pulled out the Eternal Moon Tier. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" Pure while light filled the area bathing all of the senshi in revitalizing energy, washing away the evil.

When the light cleared, the various Sun Senshi had very differing reactions; all of them were now in their school uniforms, no longer senshi. Kigai's bright green eyes held a look of ultimate bliss as she dropped her crutches to the ground beside her and gazed at her hands and feet in wonder. Bengosha stumbled backward and pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead in shock. Kanmi had fallen to the ground, sitting there and not quite sure what to think. Jika's eyes widened as she looked around, seeing in a new light. As if realizing what she had done she hurried over to Sailor Saturn and gave her a large hug, glaive and all. The tiny dark-haired senshi just giggled and grinned, returning the embrace with one hand.

Itazura and Furea also began to wake up, looking around and at themselves, dazed. Uranus and Neptune felt new strength, though Uranus still could not stand on her own. She was forced to drape an arm around Neptune's shoulder. Neither of them seemed to mind in the least bit.

"Oh!" Sailor Moon realized, "We need to get back and heal Pluto— and Sailor Green Sun!"

Sailor Mars nodded, "Let's go!"

All eighteen girls, now at peace, sat in a large sunny room at the Shinto Shrine. Usagi was just about to speak when there was a scratching at the door. Michiru, who was nearest, slid it open and Luna an Artimis bounded in, followed by three strange cats: one orange, the second sunny yellow, and the third deep, midnight blue.

"Look what the cat's dragged in!" Haruka said with a slight grin on her face, chuckling.

"We were in the control center and saw some strange energies, so we went to investigate," Luna explained.

"And we ran into these three," Artimis finished for her.

It finally registered to Itazura what was going on. "Helia! Solara! Apollo! You're here! You're alive!" She rushed over to the three cats and brought them al into one big hug. Solara, the light yellow cat, was the only one that seemed to enjoy this gesture.

Just then, Luna understood the complete situation, "You're allies?!"

Usagi nodded, "The Ginzuishou purified them."

Itazura traced the dark moons on each of her cat's foreheads absently and Chou noticed the symbols that she had previously thought as a fact of life on all of them.

She cleared her throat and glanced at Usagi. "Um, Tsukino-san," she started, "Could you purify our guardian cats with the Ginzuishou too? They still have the dark symbols."

"Mmhmm," Usagi nodded and carefully opened her broach, removing the silvery crystal.

As she got out of the way, Itazura warned, "It's a bit shocking at first."

Solara giggled and Helia, the dark blue cat, rolled her eyes, while Apollo, orange in color, sat patiently. "I'd be glad to lift this burden," Apollo said evenly, "We're ready when you are Sailor Moon."

"It's Tsukino Usagi!" Helia corrected sharply, then sitting as Apollo was, ready to be purified. Solara finally got the hint and joined the pair of cats in sitting patiently.

"Ready?" asked Usagi, holding out the crystal.

Both Apollo and Helia nodded, while Solara just stared evenly at the crystal.

"Alright," Usagi nodded then held up the Ginzuishou, "Moon Eternal Power—!" The room was filled with bright white light. "Moon Healing Escalation!" The light concentrated on the three Sun Cats and the dark moons on their foreheads became golden circular suns.

"Thank you Tsukino Usagi," Apollo said weekly, after the pure light died down. "I feel free, myself, again."

"It was nothing," Usagi smiled nodded politely, putting the crystal back in its place. She moved to return to her seat, but her knees gave in and she tumbled backwards, pigtails flying.

"Usagi!" Setsuna gasped.

Bengosha was right behind her instantly, catching the falling princess.

Usagi was able to get into a sitting position by leaning on the taller girl. "Ohh," she moaned, "I'm suddenly really tired."

"It's the Silver Crystal," Ami informed her, "It takes a lot of strength. The use of it has almost killed you in the past. You've used it a lot recently."

"At least there's no more healing to do now," Usagi said weakly and moved to stand up, then wavered and fell back to sitting.

Furea, who was sitting next to her, laughed, "You're not going anywhere, Tsukino-san; at least not until you're rested a little."

Tsute cleared her throat. "Well," she began, "since we're all here now and ready, we might as well get started."

Aiji nodded and started the conversation, "As you Silver Senshi probably know, we would very much like to get back to the Sun, but we doubt there is anyone there any more, after that battle long ago. We were wondering if there was any way for us to check before plummeting through space and finding it deserted."

Luna nodded and pranced out into the middle of the room, so more people could see her. "We have a control center with some very high-tech computer equipment that you could use to look for signs of life when you need to. Apollo says he's just as good with computers as Artimis is."

"They're brothers after all," Solara commented, not looking up from grooming herself.

"Brothers!?" Minako exclaimed, "Artimis, you never told me you had a brother!"

Artimis laughed, "I didn't remember until I saw that poster the other day. He's my twin actually. I just have faint memories of him because of the relations of the Sun and Moon at the time of the Silver Millennium. We didn't see each other much, naturally."

"Oh, I see," Minako replied thoughtfully.

"Now that we've got that straightened out," Kanmi reminded the others, "Let's move on. I don't want to be here all night."

"We've got another dilemma," Tsute voiced, "We don't really have anywhere to stay. We need sleeping place until we leave. That is, if we leave. We'd need a roof over our heads temporarily even if we don't go, so we can find places to live permanently."

"You can stay in a couple of the extra rooms here in the shrine," Rei offered, "There's plenty of room. You'll just have to take care of most of your own food."

"Any objections?" Tsute asked her senshi.

After a moment of silence, Aiji answered, "Then it's settled. Thank you Rei for your hospitality. We greatly appreciate it."

"Now something we need worry about," Makoto started, "There's more _youma_ than we can take care of quickly. We need your help with destroying them. You came her with them, after all."

"Fair enough," Jika agreed, "I can see her point."

"We should stay here until all the _youma_ have been destroyed," Chou suggested sweetly.

"That sounds like a deal to me," Bengosha agreed as well.

Usagi nodded, then asked, "Is there anything else?"

"You need some rest," Setsuna said sternly after a few moments of no one speaking.

Usagi blushed and cast her eyes down, "I suppose you're right."

Minako giggled, "Oh Usagi-chan! You're so funny!"

As the sun set, a streak of bright light leaped across the sky and into Tokyo. Eight new senshi arrived in Tokyo.

"So this is it?"

"Yes, we're here."

"How do we find them?"

"That many senshi shouldn't be hard to find at all."

"I sense evil here."

"There's lots of it."

"When do we start looking? It's dark here."

"Why not now?"

"Of course!"


	13. Episode 13

The Light of Love Grows Ever Stronger. The Dead are Alive.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Blue Solar Flames Incinerate!"

The pair of attacks hit the cornered group of _youma_, which all evaporated in a chorus of shrieks. Sailor Mercury and the taller Sailor Blue Sun exchanged an enthusiastic hi-five.

"It's amazing how much more effective we are now as a pair. Having counterparts work together rather than against each other is amazing!" Mercury observed as she pulled out her mini-computer, searching for the next group of _youma_ they would defeat.

Blue Sun laughed lightly. "With this combined help, we should be done with this in no time," She agreed.

"Jupiter," Sailor Green Sun panted, "Wait up!"

Sailor Jupiter halted mid-step and turned to wait for her green-haired companion. "Sorry," she apologized earnestly, "I keep forgetting—"

"That I am not the fastest runner," Chou completed for her breathlessly, catching up. "How are you finding these things anyway?"

"Intuition," Jupiter answered, "After being under almost constant onslaught by various enemies for the past several years, we know when and where enemies are; even though only Rei has the real sixth sense."

Chou opened her mouth to speak when a blast of dark energy shot by them, narrowly missing her. She yelped instead of speaking, eyes wide.

"Well, here we go!" Sailor Jupiter said, her eyes dancing with excitement.

"Let's go!" Green Sun exclaimed and sprinted around a street corner to see a large group of _youma_ before them, Jupiter at her heels.

"Green Flares Auroras Dance!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

Artimis, Luna, Solara, Helia, and Apollo perched themselves atop the many computers in the control center beneath the Crown Game Center. While Helia, Apollo, and Artimis scanned outer space and the Sun, Solara and Luna scanned the Tokyo area for pairs and trios of senshi who couldn't seem to find any _youma_ to destroy.

Luna watched two yellow dots and a teal one move as a group across the screen the opposite direction of a group of very near _youma_. She leaned up to the microphone, "Haruka, Michiru, Kigai, there's a group two blocks behind you near Osa-p. Go check it out."

Uranus' voice fuzzed back through the speakers, "Gotcha Luna. We're on it now!"

The trio of dots on the screen abruptly spun around and headed for the mass of Negaverse creatures that Luna had directed them to.

A few minutes later, Solara let out a slow whistling breath.

"What is it Solara?" Apollo asked from his perch next to Artimis, still waiting for the scan of the sun to complete and return data on if there was life there or not.

"There's someone else in Tokyo that is not good and isn't a Negaverse _youma_, though I can't tell how strong it is," the yellow cat explained.

"Huh," Helia commented uninterestedly, "Let's just worry about the present problem."

Luna nodded and glanced over the screen again. A group of eight dots that had been doing very little recently started moving and caught her attention. The group was moving very quickly and behaving very unlike _youma_. As the dots moved closer and within a better scan radius, they each took on a color: white, black, gray, opalescent, brown, bronze, gold, and silver. "What the—?" Luna gasped, squinting at the screen. "Solara, what can you make of this?"

Solara leaned over to Luna's screen, her blue eyes widening. She whispered, "It can't be! Luna, hurry, we have to find Princess Aiji and Princess Usagi and get to them before they do!" With that, she leaped to the floor and scurried through the door. With one more glance at the screen, Luna bounded out the door after her.

"Wait!" Apollo called after them, "It's almost done scanning!"

Helia swished her tail irritably then leaped over to the now unoccupied screen. She glanced at the dots and gasped. "No!" she said in a hushed voice, "I don't believe it!"

Both Artimis and Apollo swiveled their heads anxiously to stare at the midnight blue cat.

Usagi, Aiji, and Tsute had grouped together to hunt down and destroy the _youma_. They had only met a couple small groups of the dark monsters; the combined purity and power of the two princess as well as a Sun Color Senshi seemed to frighten them away.

"Sailor Moon," Sailor Pink Sun started as they walked briskly along the mostly empty streets of downtown Tokyo, "So how many enemies have you faced since you defeated the Negaverse that had captured us?"

"Well," Usagi responded thoughtfully, "There was Ann, Ali, and the Doom Tree; then The Black Moon Family; Fiore and his flower; The Death Busters; Snow Queen Kayuga and her Ice Dancers; The Cryo Clan, Badayanu and her faeries; and the Dead Moon Circus."

Tsute whistled in amazement. "You've all been busy then, haven't you?"

Sailor Moon smiled. "I've started to wonder what leading a normal life would be like."

"As far as I can remember," Pink Sun responded, "We didn't have nearly that much trouble on the Sun."

Sailor Sunlight shook her head, "We really did not. It was peaceful. Mother never told us why she brought together such a large and powerful team."

Pink Sun just nodded and the three of them quickened their pace slightly.

"It's funny that I couldn't remember you at all in this life time, yet you know us all," Usagi panted.

"Not funny at all," Tsute said and shook her head gravely.

"Mother did not encourage relations between the Gold Millennium and the Silver Millennium very much," Aiji explained slowly, "That's something else she never explained. She did make sure we knew who all of you were though."

"That's—," Sailor Moon started to respond but was interrupted.

"Princess! What is it?" Sailor Pink Sun asked urgently as she turned around to look at Sailor Sunlight, who had stopped dead in her tracks and was staring vacantly towards the sun in the sky.

"Something is very near," she answered, her sky blue eyes still fixed on the steadily lowering sun. She seemed to adopt a haunting tone of voice, almost like a medium.

Sailor Moon stopped as well and was giving both girls a confused look. "What? What's going on?"

Just then, Luan and Solara came bounding around the corner just in front of the three senshi.

"Usagi-chan!" Luna called, out of breath still running towards them.

"Tsute! Princess!" Solara called, right on Luna's tail, "We've got news. Here in the city, it's..." Solara's eyes widened and she paused long enough to curl into a submissive ball then added in a much less cheerful, almost fearful voice, "them."

Luna had also stopped and was staring fixated at something behind Sailor Moon, Sailor Sunlight, and Sailor Pink Sun.

"Eternal Sailor Moon," a calm and musical voice called from behind them.

Aiji's eyes widened, Sailor Moon began to turn slowly and cautiously around, and Pink Sun spun to face the newcomer as fast as she could with tears welling up in her eyes. She was the first to speak. In a shaky voice she began, "Princess Enogu? That can't be you. If you aren't I'll... I'll..." Tsute trailed off before turning her speech into quiet sobs. As if she couldn't bear to look at the person who had just spoken, she bowed her head towards the ground and closed her eyes, tears dropping slowly to the ground.

Sailor Moon glanced nervously between Pink Sun and the group of eight silhouettes on the roof of a small near-by building while Sailor Sunlight only stared with her mouth wide open in surprise at the foremost figure.

That figure stepped forward on the building and spoke again, "Sailor Pink Sun, you can believe it." She stepped forward again, but continued and leaped down to the street, now in plain view to Sailor Moon and the others.

"Enogu," Sailor Sunlight gasped quietly and the seven other figures leapt down to the street as well.

Sailor Pink Sun let out a sob of joy and lowered herself to one knee in a respectful bow.

Princess Enogu was at the front and center of her soldiers, standing regally and clearly their leader. Neither she nor any of her soldiers had hair bows like the Spectrum Senshi. Enogu herself had royal purple hair done in a thin and low ponytail down to her waist. Her bows were a striking black color with a white collar, tall green boots, and a skirt displaying all the colors of the spectrum across the pleats. The seven other senshi seemed distinctly more powerful than the Spectrum Senshi as they stood behind their princess.

Farthest to Enogu's left was a senshi in brown with long red-brown hair and cheerful violet eyes. Directly next to the brown senshi was another dressed in gray with fluffy light gray hair hanging to her shoulders, her midnight blue eyes shining knowingly. Directly behind Enogu stood a solemn pair of soldiers: one in black and the other all in white. The senshi in black had long straight black hair that hung down almost to her waist and was much shorter than the white senshi, who had glacier white hair in a simple bun on top of her head.

To their leader's right stood a trio of senshi: one in gold, one in silver, and one in bronze, all with varying shades of teal or green eyes. The bronze girl, tallest of the trio, had her mustardy-gold hair wrapped into a short, low ponytail. The gold senshi had bright gold hair that hung no lower than her ears in short messy locks. The third had blue-silver hair done in a short, round ponytail at the nape of her neck.

When Sailor Moon regarded the group of senshi with a confused look, Enogu stepped forward and began again, "Eternal Sailor Moon, I see you have found my sister, her soldiers, and my one lost soldier. I also see that the power of the Ginzuishou has already blessed them."

"But who are—?" Sailor Moon stuttered.

"Oh, we forgot to introduce ourselves. You don't know _us_ after all," she said and smiled, then gestured back to her left.

The senshi in brown began, "Protected by the Sun and its color regions: Sailor Brown Sun!"

The gray senshi announced herself next and they continued left to right, "Sailor Gray Sun!"

"Sailor Black Sun!"

"Sailor White Sun!"

"Sailor Bronze Sun!"

"Sailor Gold Sun!"

"Sailor Silver Sun!"

Then the princess introduced herself, "Sailor Spectrum, Second Princess of the Golden Millennium! We already know about you, Sailor Moon.

"But first, Tsute," Spectrum gestured to the trembling girl in pink and beckoned her closer.

Sailor Pink Sun did not wait even a moment before she stood up and hurried over to Sailor Spectrum sobbing, "You're alive! I took you for dead ages ago! I failed you princess, Aiji, and the queen. I should have done better."

Spectrum grabbed the girl before her and wrapped her in a large hug, "Cheer up Tsute-chan! It's as much my fault as it was yours."

Tsute sniffed and pulled back with a small smile, her tears receding, "I guess you're right, as always." For the first time, it finally registered with her who all was there. She gasped looking around, "Akari! Hanryo! Kumori and Mikomi! Sanmi, Toumoku, and Boshi! You're all here too! I feel almost as if the Golden Millennium has returned!"

"But it has," Kumori, the soldier in black, said with a half smile, but so quietly that only her white partner, Mikomi, could hear her. Mikomi shot her a brief but entertained look.

Not hearing Sailor Black Sun, Pink Sun paused as she scanned the row again, and her salmon eyes darkened. "Kashoku?" she asked, not seeing one of her previous partners in the ranks of Sun Color Senshi.

Sailor Brown Sun met eyes with her and sadly shook her head. Pink Sun pressed no further.

Finally Sailor Spectrum spoke again, "Sailor Moon, Sailor Sunlight, there is so much to tell you both—"

Just then, three streaks of color darted around the corner: one white, one orange, and the third midnight blue. "Usagi!" Artimis called as he skidded to a halt, "The scan finished! There is—!" He broke when he saw what Helia and Apollo were gaping at then finished slowly, "life on the Sun..."

Sailor Gold Sun grinned and laughed, "Welcome to you three as well."

Once again, all the senshi were gathered up in a large room in the Shinto shrine but it was more crowded this time. Now there were twenty-eight girls and five cats crammed into the thin-walled room.

"So what now?" Rei asked with a curious impatience.

Furea and Bengosha both shot her dangerous looks.

She began again a little more politely, "Well, I mean, we just got everything sorted out now there's more complications."

"So we're complications, are?" Sanmi, the mustardy-bronze haired girl asked slowly with one eyebrow raised.

Enogu ignored her and responded to Rei with refined politeness, "I realize that you have had some recent troubles here, but we also have the pressing business of returning these people to the Sun."

"So it is true," Itazura breathed quietly.

At the same time, Haruka mumbled rather loudly and accusingly, "Not without explaining what's going on."

Sanmi, who's light green eyes were still lazily scanning the other girls, met Haruka's gaze, raising one eyebrow once again.

Toumoku brushed her shot and unruly bright gold hair into place with one hand and cleared her throat politely. Once everyone was looking at her, she said, "It's really a simple matter, Uranus-san. Before accepting defeat, our Queen Astra used the Sun Prism to put the entire sun into a protective dormancy to reawaken when the time was right. That time came about five or six years ago. At that point everything resumed as it had been when the dormancy began. We've been monitoring the Sol System since then for any signs of Princess Aiji and the other senshi as we detected Beryl had returned. We had hope that our fellow senshi would as well."

"We found you, and so we came," Boshi, the silver-haired girl concluded tersely.

There were tears in Itazura's eyes. "I can't believe it," she said, sniffing loudly, "After ages of darkness and torture, I am myself again and my home is back as well; everything I wished for while I was locked up."

Finally Tsute asked the question that had been bothering her since she had been reunited with her princess, "But what happened to Kashoku, Teal Sun?"

Akari twitched, her brown hair falling in front of her face while Sanmi scowled, and Kumori and Mikomi exchanged troubled glances. The soldier of the Brown Chairoi Prefecture brushed her long hair out of her face but stared down at the floor as she spoke, as if fascinated by it. "Kashoku died," she started quietly, explaining to Tsute, one of her lost partners, "She died defending the Queen's life before the long dormancy. I'm afraid she's gone for good."

Tsute gaped at Akari as the rest of the group kept a shocked silence. Apparently the subject had been taboo for the Sun Color Senshi. She was stunned. Kashoku had been the oldest of all of the Sun Senshi, next to the queen, and had become one of Astra's soldiers even before Tsute. Because they were the first two soldiers as well as partners, Tsute and Kashoku were very close, growing close to Akari when she joined their trio as well.

Usagi cleared her throat and tried to break the painful silence. "So does this mean you are all leaving?"

"Yes," Enogu answered almost immediately, "as soon as we can."

Usagi looked crestfallen.

"Wait!" Kigai protested from across the room, "We promised not leave until all of the _youma_ have been destroyed. The Silver Senshi have helped us this much already. We at least owe them that."

Enogu opened her mouth to protest, but Boshi was faster, "We need to get you back to the Sun before something else happens to you. Sailor Moon and her soldiers are strong enough to face those creatures easily."

"We promised!" Furea argued, "And we _do_ owe them for their kindness."

"Really Furea-chan—," Enogu protested calmly.

Jika cut her off, "I'm with Furea."

"And so am I," Aiji agreed. Enogu closed her mouth as she was just about to argue further. "What does a couple more days mean anyway?" she asked, "We have our friends the Silver Senshi to consider as well. It would be rude to leave without proper goodbyes."

Aiji's older sister looked like she wanted to protest, but resisted and let out a long slow breath. "I suppose it would be alright," she started with a slight tone of doubt in her voice, "but where would we stay."

Rei sighed loudly, "I suppose you could all stay here too with the rest of your friends."

Michiru laughed and put a hand gently on Rei's arm, who was sitting next to her. "Rei," she said cheerfully, "you don't need to worry so much. These are all friends and they seem to be anxious to be out of here. I'm sure they won't overstay their welcome."

Rei blushed.

"I'd say we should start getting rid of those _youma_ right away, but it's getting dark," Haruka observed, "We could start tomorrow morning right away."

Usagi yawned. "I'm so tired!" she whimpered, "I don't want to try to go all the way home. Rei-chan, can I _please_ stay here tonight too?"

Rei sighed, "I guess. Anyone else want to stay then?"

"Me! Me!" Minako exclaimed.

"Oh!" Makoto exclaimed, "Me too! We could have a senshi sleep-over!"

Rei looked worried and frantic.

"Oh, calm down Rei," Setsuna reassured her, "We're all responsible people. It would be nice to spend some time with the Golden Senshi before they leave again any way."

"I guess you can all stay then," she submitted and several of the girls cheered.

Usagi settled her pile of blankets serving as a sleeping bag near Tsute and Enogu's. She wanted to have a chance to talk with the oldest princess of the Sun. Despite her warmness, she always seemed to speak with a careful politeness that reflected much training in etiquette, so it was difficult for Usagi to tell how sincere she was.

"So you've just been back for five or six years," Usagi asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

Enogu smiled sweetly and answered, "Yes. It's odd starting a new life already having lived in the past. Few officials speak directly of the defeat of the Sun in the past. It's an odd and awkward taboo, I say. They mention the past little as well, and try their best to avoid mentioning all of the Sun Senshi that no longer dwelled on the Sun. It's as if we've been living straight on from the past, before the war."

"That's really strange," Usagi said, struck with the odd behavior. "Wouldn't people want to talk about and it figure out what happened."

Tsute shook her head, "Although the courtiers in the Golden Millennium love to gossip, they never want to offend the Queen or displease her, as she has supreme power there. The loss of her kingdom in its prime as well as her soldiers was very hard for her, and they all know it. Society on the Sun is very much based on social rankings and politics."

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked. She'd never once considered politics of her old kingdom, the Silver Millennium.

"Well," Toumoku, who was lying on her blankets near by, joined in, "Unlike you Silver Senshi, we aren't princesses or anything. Our families are High Families of our prefectures just by the grace of the royal family of the Sun."

"Some of us aren't even of the High Families," Kumori corrected her, who was leaning against the wooden panel wall a short ways off, "I for one—"

"Too true," Mikomi agreed, nodding slowly.

"I guess you do have to really pay attention to court politics on the Sun," Usagi said. She yawned and slipped down into her blankets. "I really should sleep..." She yawned again, and closed her round eyes. After one tired sigh, she slipped into sleep and was silent for the night.

Tsute and Enogu glanced at eachother then over at the sleeping blond. Enogu smiled and Tsute nodded in response, taking down her odangos. Then both of them laid their heads on their pillows, reaching for sleep after a surprising day. Toumoku had already lightly closed her eyes again, only just paying attention to the conversations around her.

Meanwhile, Mikomi and Kumori surveyed the now nearly quiet room. Everyone was curled up peacefully in their blankets or sleeping bags except Ami, who had her nose in a thin book, paying no attention to the rest of the room, Rei, who was just settling in from frantically preparing the shrine for all of her guests, and Haruka and Michiru, who were carrying on a hushed conversation not far away.

Mikomi gently released her hair from its tight bun and the glacial white hair cascaded down to her shoulders smoothly. Kumori sighed. She did have gorgeous hair. Mikomi pulled out a brush and her dark-haired companion wordlessly took it from her and began running it through her white hair. As she brushed Mikomi's hair, Kumori's eyes strayed to the other pair of girls still awake and talking. It was clear from the way the two were near each other that Haruka and Michiru's relationship was much like that between Kumori and Mikomi. She smiled slightly as she noticed for the first time how gorgeous Michiru was.

Haruka noticed Kumori's wistful glance and shot her a warning stare, then she leaned down to Michiru, who giggled after her partner muttered something in her ear. She also glanced over and Kumori and blushed.

Mikomi noticed Haruka and Michiru's actions and knew exactly what was going on. She turned her head to look back at Kumori and smiled sweetly at her. "Don't you start that!" she said quietly with a slight grin, "Don't you remember how Princess Uranus was about Princess Neptune in the past? I wouldn't want to provoke Haruka."

"Oh," Kumori teased into Mikomi's ear, "I can't help it. Of course you're much prettier than _she_ is."

Mikomi just giggled.

"Now turn around so I can finish brushing your hair," she commanded.

Mikomi giggled again then obliged and Kumori continued in her job. Kumori met eyes with Haruka again, who rose from where she sat and strode quietly over to where Kumori and Mikomi sat, Michiru following shortly after.

Kumori quickly finished up her brushing and handed the brush to Mikomi, who stowed it away, while Haruka and Michiru settled themselves on the floor near by.

"So you two girls have been living on the Sun just as you were before Beryl?" Haruka asked casually, but quietly, so that she wouldn't wake any of the other sleepers.

"Almost the same," Mikomi answered, eyeing Michiru with one eyebrow raised, "I mean, most of our old companions were gone for the last several years. It is a bit different, but it's mostly back to normal after the cities were reconstructed." When she realized that Michiru was watching her, she quickly glanced back at Kumori.

"We miss our old life, but it will be almost complete with the return of the Spectrums, Aiji, and Tsute. I've known Tsute for a long time," Kumori explained, "Even longer than Mikomi." Mikomi blushed as she paused, then turned the subject back, "You girls must miss the old kingdoms as well, I'd bet."

Michiru chuckled. "I rather like this life," she said lightly, "It's much more exciting and I'm not nearly important. I don't need to worry about making a bad step every moment and causing my planet to loose face. I can devote more time to my music as well. There's less court to worry about."

Haruka nodded, "I agree with Michiru. I can do things that would not have been allowed in the old times. For one, I'm not confined to dresses all the time." Kumori laughed and Haruka continued, "But I also have freedoms as well. Court was never my thing back then."

"But don't you think the old system of the planet kingdoms should be brought back again, when you senshi are all ready for it?" Mikomi protested.

"It may be a good idea," Haruka commented, "But I don't think Earth is ready for it. Maybe some day."

"Your princess," Kumori gestured to the sleeping Usagi, "She is still a princess in this day and age, no matter how things are. She has the Ginzuishou, and is destined to purify and rule. That is her destiny as the Moon Princess."

"So she will be queen then..." Michiru said quietly, almost to herself if no one else, "I always wondered about that when we discovered that she was the true messiah..."

Haruka glanced at Michiru, startled, but said nothing.

Kumori smiled and broke the difficult silence again, "It would be nice if you girls could visit us some time back on the sun. It's beautiful there."

"Maybe we will," Haruka responded and smiled.


	14. Episode 14

The Sunset Glows in the Sky. The Messenger from the Stars is a Meteorite.

All of the girls ate oatmeal at Rei's the next morning as it was the only food she had enough of to feed twenty-six of them. Suddenly the door flung open and Minako, who had risen early and disappeared, hurried in, an ecstatic look in her blue eyes. "Usagi, Rei, Makoto!" she exclaimed as she swung the door closed behind her then waved a small newspaper clipping at them, "The Three Lights are in Tokyo, in Juuban district and they're doing a live filming at the park in two days!"

Kanmi shot Minako an exasperated look but kept quiet, daintily spooning her breakfast into her mouth.

"Kakkoii!" Usagi exclaimed, "That must be who I saw at the air port when Mamo-chan left."

"You saw them?" Ami demanded, then drew back and blushed at her rudeness.

Usagi nodded eagerly, "I think so."

"Minako," Makoto asked, "When is this exactly? We have to go!"

"I've got all the info right here," the blond answered, waving the clipping again.

Furea, who sat nearest to where Minako stood, reached up and snatched the paper, examining it thoughtfully as she chewed. Swallowing, she asked, "So who are these 'Three Lights' anyway? What's so special about them?"

Rei snatched the paper back, looking over it with a grin, "I guess I can forgive you for not knowing, because you're not from Tokyo. The Three Lights are a super popular singing group with amazing music. Almost every girl loves them!"

"Hey," Makoto suggested, "You guys should all come with us."

"I do not know," Enogu said slowly, "We know nothing of your kind of music, after all. We are from a completely different world originally."

"Then we will have to introduce you to it," Michiru, mostly silent for the morning, stated calmly.

"There are still _youma_ out there that we need to take care of," Luna reminded the girls, "The Three Lights will have to wait. We have our duty as Sailor Soldiers first."

Minako, Ami, Rei, and Makoto sighed in unison. "I guess you're right Luna," Minako submitted.

"So how do you go about finding and destroying these creatures?" Toumoku asked, placing her spoon with a clink in her now empty bowl.

Apollo explained, "Solara, Helia, Artimis, Luna, and I all go into their control center and track the _youma_ and tell you where they are. Of course you split up in groups to make things go faster."

"I do not think there are many left," Helia added.

"So when do we start?" Akari asked brightly.

"As soon as we are done eating," Haruka answered with a grin.

"Dying Star!"

"Bright Solar Shine!"

The two powerful attacks struck the pack of _youma_ in front of Sailor Brown Sun and Sailor Pink Sun. After their yells faded and many dissolved, only one of the creatures remained.

"Go for it Akari," Pink Sun suggested with a grin as her brown-clad companion fidgeted anxiously, wanting to run forward.

"Alright!" she smiled and darted towards the _youma_, "Bright Solar Shine!"

When she shining brown light struck it, it promptly disappeared with a scream.

Brown Sun did a short victory dance before turning back to her friend. Tsute laughed.

"What?" the brown senshi asked curiously.

"You're so funny!" Pink Sun answered plainly, holding in more laughs, "I forgot how much I missed you guys. If only Teal..." she trailed away.

Fortunately, Brown Sun missed her last comment and responded cheerfully, "I haven't had this much fun in a long time. The Golden Millennium almost never got any invaders, and these are _easy_ to beat."

"They're the same ones we fought long ago," Tsute reminded, more soberly as she started walking down the street, her friend following just behind her. Behind them, people began coming cautiously out of their shops to take curious glances at the Sailor Senshi now that the danger was gone.

"But it seems so much easier," Sailor Brown Sun protested.

"Maybe it is because there were so many of them then," Tsute suggested as Akari caught up, "Or maybe we are just stronger."

"I really don't know," Brown Sun nodded.

"Setsuna-san," Sailor Violet Sun asked as she hurried down the road next to Sailor Pluto, "Where do we go now? We have not seen any for a while."

"We can just keep looking," Sailor Pluto answered with a shrug, "They cannot be many more left to find.

Just then, Solara's voice sounded in their ears, "Go two blocks left and two back and you should find a group of about four of those things."

"Thanks Solara!" Sailor Indigo Sun answered.

"I guess we know where to find them now," Pluto said and smiled, quickening her pace while Indigo Sun struggled to keep up.

They rounded two corners and sprinted into a mostly empty street. Only the four youma stood before them, prowling slowly about in their search for humans to drain.

Not waiting time, they attacked. "Indigo Invisible Beams Beat Down!"

"Dead Scream!"

As the attacks neared the confused _youma_ three more voices chorused from another street. "Black Light Eclipse!"

"White Light Purity!"

"Gray Solar Shadows Consume!"

All five attacks struck the knot of creatures simultaneously and all disappeared with shrieks.

"Huh?" Indigo asked then hurried forward, Pluto followed.

From around the corner of another street came the three shades senshi, Sailor White Sun, Sailor Black Sun, and Sailor Gray Sun.

"Talk about overkill," the dark senshi commented with a sideways smile.

White Sun laughed quietly, "That did make things go quickly."

"Apollo told us to come here," Gray Sun said, "What a coincidence to see you two here as well."

Setsuna chuckled, "Solara gave us directions here as well."

"I guess they are running out of _youma_ to keep us busy with," Indigo suggested.

Sets of hurried footsteps clacked on the street across from where Black, White, and Gray Sun appeared. Rounding a corner, three more senshi ran into view: Sailor Gold Sun, Sailor Bronze Sun, and Sailor Silver Sun. The bronze senshi stopped immediately in confusion when she saw five soldiers already standing on the sidewalk before them. A few cars trickled through the intersection and people emerged onto the sidewalks now that the _youma_ were gone. Gold Sun and Silver Sun ran a few steps more before they paused in confusion as well.

"Where's the _youma_?" Sailor Bronze Sun called, hurrying towards the other senshi.

"Luna told us there were some here," The silver senshi added as the trio crossed the street towards the other senshi.

Both Indigo Sun and Black Sun burst into laughter.

"What?" Gold Sun demanded as she reached them, "Was that a joke somehow?"

Pluto smiled, "Solara directed Itazura and I here."

"And Apollo told us to come as well," Gray Sun added.

"Those cats should talk to each other more often," Gold Sun said sternly then laughed, "They really do not seem to be telling each other where they send us."

"I wonder how everyone else is fairing," White Sun pondered.

Although Sailor Orange Sun could run fast with much more ease than Sailor Venus could, the silver senshi did not mention it, pretending to be comfortable as she struggled to keep up. Venus did not want to let her companion know that she was any less capable.

The orange senshi skidded to a halt as they rounded a corner with. Sailor Venus bumped into her as she stopped as well; people walking along the sidewalks still kept a safe yet curious distance from the pair of senshi.

"I know I saw them go this way," Orange Sun muttered, scanning the busy street in front of them.

Venus nodded, "I saw the _youma_ too, but they can't be on the street. The cars and people would be out of here if they were. I wonder if any of the other senshi destroyed them first."

Just then, a pair of sailor senshi dressed in red clattered up to the street on the other side of the intersection. Both Sailor Mars and Sailor Red Sun glanced around, with perplexed expressions matching the other pair of girls.

"Rei! Furea! Over here!" Sailor Venus called, waving above the traffic. Meanwhile the traffic lights still forbid either pair to cross.

Both senshi glanced up at her, but Mars's attention quickly transferred to scanning the street again.

"Did you see the _youma_?" Sailor Orange Sun asked loudly, cupped hands around her mouth.

"We know they're—"Sailor Red Sun started but her counterpart cut her off.

"Look out!" Rei yelled and pointed above Venus and Orange Sun.

The pair whirled around in time to see a clump of _youma_ leap down from the overhang above them. Venus yelped and hurried to the side and out of their way while Kanmi quickly spun out of range. Five of the creatures landed on the pavement between them. One cackled. Almost immediately, the intersection cleared of cars and the sidewalks cleared of people, all hurrying to safety in shops or farther away. Not waiting for the lights to change, Sailor Red Sun and Sailor Mars bolted across the street.

Sailor Orange Sun was the first to recover from the surprise of the attack. She raised her hands in front of her and shrieked, "Orange Solar Flare!" All but the cackling _youma_ managed to avoid the slow attack. After its laughs melted into screams then into nothing, only four of the creatures remained.

"One apiece?" Sailor Red Sun asked with a grin as she counted their enemies.

"Of course," Orange Sun replied, smirking.

Venus and Mars exchanged glances, each smiling. Each could easily destroy all four with just one attack. This was for the fun of it.

"Hey you!" Mars called to the nearest creature, tossing a pebble at it. When it turned wrathfully towards her, she waved, "Over here!" Turning quickly, she dashed down the sidewalk away from the others. The _youma _followed eagerly. Abruptly the soldier stopped and spun on her heels. Before the _youma_ could stop as well, she attacked, "Mars Flame Sniper!" It hurried right into the flaming arrow, disappearing instantly without even a cry. Sailor Mars laughed triumphantly.

Orange Sun quickly regained her balance from the last attack and repeated, taking careful aim her chosen _youma_. "Orange Solar Flare!" she shrieked again. This time the creature could not avoid her and dissolved with a shriek.

Venus lashed out with one of her more useful attacks, "Venus Love-me Chain! " Instead of destroying the _youma_ she just bound it in place. It struggled against its golden bonds. _Time for some old stuff_. She thought, then attacked, "Venus Crescent Beam Shower!" lights shot down towards the creature and it disappeared wailing. "Alright!" she cheered and turned her attention to the last remaining _youma_.

Sailor Red Sun disliked taking an indirect way about winning. She simply targeted and attacked, "Red Solar Heat Wave!" Red heat bore down on the creature and it vanished with a scream that echoed through the city. All four girls relaxed, feeling a sudden peace.

A moment later, Apollo's voice sounded in their ears, "That is the last of them. All the _youma _are gone. Meet back at the shrine."

"So," Mars said softly, "Off we go then."

The four girls retreated back across the street back towards Rei's home, finding a place to shed their sailor fuku before continuing on. The streets and sidewalks filled with cars and people once again, the danger now gone.

"You know," Furea commented as they walked along together, "I kind of wished for a better fight. This was all too easy and too short."

"You've got that right," Kanmi agreed. "Now life gets boring again."

"You could always stay around here some more, we always have plenty to fight," Minako suggested. "I wouldn't mind the help. Then I could be a normal high school girl more often."

"We cannot do that," Kanmi shook her head. "Our kingdom is waiting for our return. We have our duties to hold to as you have yours."

No one responded and the quartet traveled in silence for a long while. As they came in sight of their destination, both Rei and Furea suddenly stopped where they were, eyes blank. "Do you feel it?" Rei asked her companion.

Furea nodded, "Yes. There is something very evil nearing."

As suddenly as they had stopped, they began walking again, past the building with a large sign across the front saying 'Ginga TV.' The feeling of darkness passed.

Minako and Kanmi gave each other quizzical looks and followed them, not asking questions.

Usagi rushed out towards them when the came nearer to the shrine. In her hand she clutched a white envelope addressed to America. "Rei, Minako, Furea, Kanmi!" she exclaimed, coming to a halt in front of them. "You're the last ones back except for Haruka, Michiru, and Kigai. Luna said they were all the way on the other side of town when you finished off the last _youma_."

"Great," Rei responded calmly, "So what are we doing now?"

"Getting ready to go home?" Kanmi asked softly.

Usagi nodded, "Yea. Enogu-hime and the others are already planning the best place to leave from."

"I guess we should get inside then," Furea said and sighed. _Leaving already? I was hoping we could stay at least a little longer. We just became friends again..._

As the four girls headed towards the sliding doors, Usagi continued towards the stairs and away. Minako paused and turned around, calling after her, "Usagi-chan! Where are you going?"

Not pausing as she quickly descended the first few steps, she answered back over her shoulder, "I want to send off this letter to Mamo-chan before I have to say goodbye to everyone!" A few moments later, her bobbing blond pigtails disappeared from sight.

Rei, who had also stopped commented, "She's been writing to him every day since he left, hasn't she?"

Minako sighed and nodded, "It must be hard for her to be separated from him for this long." After a pause as they both gazed blankly down the stairs, she suggested, "Let's get back inside with the others. There are a lot of goodbye's to say to all of the Golden Sun Senshi."

Rei smiled and she and the blond followed their two other friends inside Rei's dwelling.

Haruka regretted not taking the car when the trekked half way across downtown Tokyo. It took Kigai, Michiru, and her over and hour to walk back to the Shinto shrine once Helia informed them the last of the _youma_ had been destroyed. She rounded the last corner several long steps ahead of both Michiru and Kigai, both of whom were naturally slower than her.

"Why are you in such a hurry Haruka?" Michiru asked, hurrying up to her partner's side.

"We're late enough as it is," she explained impatiently, "I just want to get back."

"We can't have missed much Haruka," Kigai pointed out, straggling behind both the older girls. "Aiji and Enogu would never start anything without everyone there."

"She is right, you know," Michiru agreed.

Suddenly Kigai gasped and broke into a dead sprint, passing both Michiru and Haruka as she ran towards the huge set of stairs leading up to their destination.

Michiru paused and gently grasped Haruka's hand to get her attention, "What do you think—?"

"It has to have something to do with her princess," Haruka said absently, "Or else it's evil. Let's go!" She took off at a run, her teal-haired companion following after her. They clattered up the stone steps, breathlessly stopping at the top. In the middle of the lawn Kigai knelt, head bowed, in front of two unfamiliar figures. Haruka's eyes darted between the winged figure and Kigai while Michiru's were glued on the much smaller one. Stepping forward, Haruka called shakily in shock, "U-usagi? You need to get out here."

Kigai as well as the two strangers in Sailor fuku looked up immediately at Haruka and Michiru. The doors to the shrine slid open and Usagi stumbled out. "What Haruka?" she asked as she gained her balance, then she noticed the two visitors between her and her soldiers. She stopped and gasped. "Queen Astra?" she asked quietly.

The winged woman, already staring at Usagi, smiled. "Yes Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity. It is I." She pivoted, obscuring the smaller girl in teal and Kigai from Usagi's view with her large pale blue wings. Her hair was the same light blond color as her daughter Aiji's but done in buns like Usagi's with the remainder of her hair falling straight down just past her shoulders. Her outfit was very similar to Usagi's Eternal Sailor Moon outfit in style, only consisting of periwinkle blue, sky blue, and pale yellow of the sun in difference. Like both of her daughters, she had pale china-like skin and calm light blue eyes.

A moment later, several people appeared at the open doorway behind Usagi, staring in awe yet not saying a word. Soon everyone who could had crammed themselves in the opening, straining to see the new arrivals.

After a long pause, Usagi finally spoke again, "Why are you here? Everyone is safe and they are ready to go home."

"I wanted to meet you, Serenity," the queen of the sun began, "And I wanted to make amends for my actions in the past." After a thoughtful pause of glancing around she added, "Your home is beautiful. From here, the Sun looks stunning in your blue sky."

Usagi blushed, "My name now is Tsukino Usagi. People never call me Serenity now."

"Alright Usagi-san," Astra nodded, "Is there a place we might speak better?"

Before Usagi could answer, a small yet serious voice piped up from behind the queen's wings, "Your Highness?"

"Ah yes," she said slowly with realization and backed away, reveling a tiny girl in teal sailor fuku with short pale sea-foam green hair. "I should introduce to you Kinshou Kashoku, one of my most trusted soldiers."

Usagi smiled and bowed politely in greeting, "Pleased to meet—"

She was cut off as several girls burst through the crowd at the door, Tsute at the lead. The pink-haired girl cried, "Kashoku! You're alive!"

Tsute, Akari, Kumori, and Mikomi smothered the tiny senshi in hugs.

Still standing at the top of the stairs, Michiru murmured, "That must be Sailor Teal Sun, my counterpart..."


	15. Episode 15

Loose Ends are Retied. The Light Fades Away.

The dam having been burst, the remaining girls poured out onto the lawn. Those from the sun dropped down to one knee and bowed their heads, showing respect for their queen. One of the last to exit was Aiji. A tentative smile spread across her face as she met eyes with her mother.

"I have long considered you lost to me Aiji," Queen Astra said, returning the smile, "To see you again at last..."

The first grin since she left her home long ago spread across the small girl's face. She bounded over to her mother to be swallowed in a hug. "Mother!" she cooed softly.

When she finally released her daughter, the queen turned back to Usagi, "Yes, we shall need a more comfortable place to chat. Just you and I, if you do not mind."

Usagi smiled, "Maybe we could take a walk through the woods behind the temple?"

"Of course," Astra nodded.

When her old friends had finished fawning over her, Sailor Teal Sun ridded herself of her Sailor fuku in favor of a plain teal dress. She glanced over her shoulder towards the pensive pair of silver senshi. "Kaiou Michiru," she said flatly.

Michiru jumped, and Haruka cast a concerned glance at her, not hearing the young senshi.

Kashoku pivoted, "That _is _your name right?"

"Yes, it is," Michiru nodded.

"I am Kinshou Kashoku, I knew much of you," she continued, approaching.

Michiru could hardly believe such mature speech came from such a small child. "Kinshou," Michiru pondered, "That name seems familiar."

"It should," Kashoku smiled, stopping directly in front of her counterpart, "I used to be older. As you probably heard, I died at the same time all of Princess Aiji's soldiers were captured. To everyone's surprise, I was born again about seven years ago, shortly after the Reawakening."

Michiru nodded slowly. What could she say?

"It is only fair that you know who I am," she continued, "As I know all about you. Your mother was a wonderful person. It is too bad that she died long ago."

"Mother?" Michiru asked, "Oh, you mean Queen Kaiousei?"

Kashoku nodded, "She and I were close, as close as you could be with a citizen of the Silver Millennium. I visited Neptune on occasion and found it quite beautiful. I hope the kingdom will be resurrected one day."

Michiru smiled at Kashoku then Haruka. "I think we all hope that," she said, "But we know the Earth Kingdom has the brightest future. Sailor Moon and the inner senshi have been there and have seen Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san as King and Queen. There is hope for the planet kingdom's to return as well."

"When that time comes, I will visit you," the small girl finally broke a smile.

"I sense a warming relationship between the Sun and the Moon," Haruka commented warmly, putting and arm around Michiru's waist.

"I sense it too," Kashoku agreed.

Usagi and Queen Astra walked in silence for several moments, putting distance between them and the others. Astra admired the weather and the woods while Usagi bit her lip with apprehension.

At last, the sun queen spoke, "Usagi-san, I must apologize for my coldness to your kingdom in the past. It was my own misunderstanding; I should not have held that against you all. I am sorry."

"Thank you," Usagi said, perplexed, "But why did you hold a grudge like that? What was the misunderstanding?"

Astra sighed and closed her eyes, stopping to lean up against a tree. She slowly began her narrative, "When I was slightly older than you are now, an evil force attacked the Sun Kingdom. My parents as well as several members of court were killed before I managed to vanquish them with the Sun Prism. I called for help from your mother, but none came. In my grief, I thought your mother to be selfish, and I became angry with her.

"Suddenly finding myself as the new queen of the Golden Millennium, I quickly cut off relations with the Silver Millennium and began to build up and army of my own Sailor Senshi to prevent such an event from happening again."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Usagi said softly, "I didn't know."

Astra sighed and shrugged, continuing her walk, "It's alright. How could you have known? It's likely your mother never received my pleas."

"You've had such a sad life," Usagi observed, "First your parents die. Then one of your daughters and half of your soldiers disappear as if dead."

"And my husband died in the raids," she continued, "Yes, yes, but I want to turn things around. Usagi-san, I want us to be friends. I want to end what I started long ago."

"Of course!" Usagi giggled.

Astra as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders, "Thank you Princess Serenity!"

"I'm Usagi—"

"I can return to the Sun at peace now," Astra sighed.

Usagi halted mid-step, "You don't mean you're going back so soon!"

"My soldiers have trampled on your welcome for too long already," the queen explained calmly.

"No they haven't!" Usagi protested, "We have just become friends."

"Yes, but we can keep in touch," Astra said, holding onto her calm, "Besides, we must return to the Sun quickly. Few people knew that we have left.

Usagi sighed," I guess if you have to..."

Kumori and Mikomi found themselves to be the only two calm people present. While the reappearance of Kashoku surprised them, it did not stun them.

"I'm so glad Kashoku is back," Mikomi said and smiled as she watched the young girl being swallowed up by another knot of girls excited to see her. "Shouldn't we go and talk to her some more now?"

"Ah," Kumori shook her head, "She's got enough to worry about at the moment. We'll have plenty of time to catch up with her back on the Sun."

Mikomi nodded, "I think it will be hard for the Spectrums to leave not, but we really must. And soon."

Kumori nodded silently.

"Oh!" Itazura exclaimed from where she stood in the yard, "Your Highness! Usagi-san! You're back!"

All the attention turned to where the two leaders emerged from the woods.

"So what now?" Jika asked.

"We must return to our home," Queen Astra answered plainly, stopping before them.

"No!" Chou protested.

"Not yet!" Korai cried.

"You can't mean that," Rei blurted.

"But we—"Kanmi stammered.

"Hush!" Aiji piped up, "Mother is right. Think. Our people, currently abandoned by our leadership and protection, surely mean more to us than new friends."

The girls fell silent.

"You _will_ see each other again," Apollo said firmly.

"Maybe not soon," Artimis agreed, "but think to the future. I'm sure at least when Crystal Tokyo rises, you will see each other again."

"You're right, but that _is_ a very long time," Makoto commented softly, "Isn't there some other way we could stay in contact?"

"We might think of something," Apollo said encouragingly, padding towards where Makoto sat on the grass.

"But we can't promise anything," Helia interjected darkly.

Suddenly, a shiver ran up and down the Queen's spine. A handful of the others felt it as well.

"Something is drawing nearer," Furea observed.

"Something dark," Rei added in a low voice, "Powerfully dark."

Astra stiffened, "We cannot delay any longer. If we remain, whatever it is might block our departure."

"But—" Minako protested.

"What is the best place to depart from?" Queen Astra asked.

"The highest!" Boshi added quickly.

"The Tokyo Tower is the highest place we have," Ami said slowly, her mind working.

"But the dais in the Juuban park assisted us when going to the moon," Luna pointed out thoughtfully.

"Right!" Minako nodded.

"I like that better!" Akari voiced her opinion.

"But we needed a full moon for that," Ami said regretfully.

"Sot it would make sense," Bengosha continued, "For us to need a sunny day."

"There isn't much daylight left," Hanryo said softly.

"Then we must hurry to the park," Enogu said urgently.

Aiji cast her attention towards the confused Usagi, "Could you lead us there?"

She nodded solemnly.

All of the sun senshi had transformed and lined up in three circles facing the center of the dais with the royalty at the center, the Spectrums near the outside, and the Colors just outside of them.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, threatening to dip below the horizon, Pink Sun turned out of the circle, meeting Usagi's eyes, "I'm sorry we had to leave so soon. I'm sure we would have gotten along."

"Rei," Red Sun said, "I can feel it: we will meet again."

Rei smiled and giggled, "So can I Furea-chan."

"Keep yourself sharp Mizuno Ami!" Blue Sun added.

"You can count on it!" Ami retorted with a grin.

"I'm sorry Hotaru-chan," Violet Sun said softly, "I'll make it up to you one day."

"You were a tough opponent," Hotaru said sweetly, unaffected by the remorseful comment.

"I wish we could have played volleyball together Minako-chan," Orange Sun said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Next time we meet," Minako started brightly, "It's a rematch!"

The orange senshi just laughed.

"_Jyupitaru_, it was good to get to know you," Sailor Green Sun smiled sweetly.

"You're wonderful Chou!" Makoto exclaimed, tears building up in her eyes.

"I wish I was as awesome as you Setsuna," Indigo Sun called.

"But you are, Itazura-chan!" Setsuna protested.

"Haruka-san!" The small yellow solder cried and burst free of the circle. Haruka greeted her with open arms and scooped her into a hug, "Thank you for everything."

Haruka put her down, "I'll miss you Suenari Kigai." Pausing for a moment, she added thoughtfully, "Keep on smiling."

Yellow Sun grinned and giggled, "I will!"

"Kigai!" Sailor Blue Sun reminded her sharply.

The girl smiled again and bounded back to the circle. As she did, Michiru said hopefully, "It was good to know you Kashoku. I would have liked to hear more."

"I would have liked to as well," the tiny teal solder agreed.

"Thank you all for being so kind," Sailor Sunlight said at last, "And understanding."

"I knew we could trust in the Ginzuishou," Sailor Brown Sun said triumphantly.

"And Sailor Moon," Bronze Sun added.

Usagi blushed.

Sailor Gold Sun glanced nervously up at the sun, "We do not have much time..."

"But enough to say thank you again,"Sailor Sun added, "Sailor Moon, we are forever in your debt. Thank you."

Sever of the other soldiers echoed her thanks.

"I just—"Usagi stammered.

"But we cannot wait any longer," the queen said regretfully, "Ready minna?" Not waiting for a response, she joined hands with her daughters, "Sun Power!"

"Sunlight Solar Power!"

"Spectrum Solar Power!"

"Red Sun Spectrum Power!"

"Orange Sun Spectrum Power!"

"Yellow Sun Spectrum Power!"

"Green Sun Spectrum Power!"

"Blue Sun Spectrum Power!"

"Indigo Sun Spectrum Power!"

"Violet Sun Spectrum Power!"

"Pink Sun Color Power!"

"I'm sorry Sailor Moon," The queen called for the last time.

"Teal Sun Color Power!"

"Brown Sun Color Power!"

"Gray Sun Color Power!"

"Goodbye minna!" Sunlight's voice sounded from somewhere in the light.

"Black Sun Color Power!"

"White Sun Color Power!"

"Silver Sun Color Power!"

"Gold Sun Color Power!"

"Bronze Sun Color Power!"

"Thank you!" Sailor Spectrum said at last as the colors combined into bright white light. As it intensified, the earthly girls painfully averted their eyes.

"Blast off!" they all chorused together. The light grew brighter.

"Arigatou..." an unidentifiable voice echoed as the lights faded away, leaving empty ground where the nineteen sailor senshi once stood.

The girls gradually turned their gazes towards the west and the setting sun. They remained in pensive silence for a long while.

Hotaru glanced wide-eyed at her foster-mother Setsuna who smiled back encouragingly. Haruka moved closer to Michiru, gently taking her hand. Rei, Minako, and Makoto exchanged perplexed looks while Ami stared unblinkingly at the sky. Luna and Artimis sat where they were, still as feline statues. Usagi stared at the circular dais in disbelief. After glancing again at the setting sun, she walked slowly, numbly, to the center of the dais where her newest friends had just disappeared from.

Staring up at the sky, she said hopefully, "So."

A moment later Makoto echoed distantly, "So..."

"So," Setsuna pondered, "So, we all should be heading home. All of you have school tomorrow."

"And homework to do," Ami added half-heartedly, finally looking at the others and abandoning her fruitless search of the sky.

After a long pause while everyone lingered around the dais, Rei turned from the circle and walked slowly away. Over her shoulder she said, "Back to normal again, I guess. Whatever that is."

Usagi sighed and echoed, "Whatever that is..."

The Golden Sun Senshi returned back to the Sun without event and the previously lost soldiers were greeted with enthusiasm.

Having seen the systems on Earth, the Golden Millennium quickly began to reform from an archaic court system to one of high technology and formal education. The long-lost girls returned to their families and resumed their normal lives of court, schooling, and paying respects to the royal family. All except Bengosha, who's father died in her absence, were able to lead ordinary lives as girls. As for Bengosha, she quickly took power over the Aoi Prefecture and became a powerful leader.

As Princess Aiji aged, she married a man from the Midori Prefecture, a second cousin of Chou, and became Queen Astra in her own time, bearing one daughter named Princess Taiyouko, heir to the Golden Throne and the Sun Prism. Her sister Princess Enogu remained her closest advisor in their time of tranquility. From far away, they watched Crystal Tokyo grow and blossom down on Earth, and later the planet kingdoms as well.

For the most part, the Sun Senshi were not needed as few evil forces, none of them strong, ever made it to the Sun, past the pull of the Ginzuishou on Earth. While all of the Golden Senshi except Kumori and Mikomi married and had children, new senshi were not awakened to replace their mothers. There was never any danger, so there was no need. They lived peacefully and prosperously, never forgetting their friends back on Earth.

Meanwhile, the Silver Moon Senshi did not find peace as they had hoped. Just days after the departure of their visitors from the Sun, they first encountered Sailor Iron Mouse and the senshi from Kinmokusei. They were in for a long, hard battle against Shadow Galactica.

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